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Mobile-phone Radiation-induced Perturbation of Gene-expression Profiling, Redox Equilibrium and Sporadic-apoptosis Control in the Ovary of Drosophila melanogaster.

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Manta AK, Papadopoulou D, Polyzos AP, Fragopoulou AF, Skouroliakou AS, Thanos D, Stravopodis DJ, Margaritis LH. · 2017

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Mobile phone radiation triggered genetic disruption and doubled reproductive cell death in just 30 minutes at exposure levels below current safety limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed fruit flies to mobile phone radiation for just 30 minutes and found significant biological disruptions in their ovaries. The exposure caused a 60% increase in harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species, altered the activity of 168 genes, and doubled the rate of cell death in reproductive tissue. These findings suggest that even brief exposure to cell phone radiation can trigger cellular stress and damage reproductive cells.

Why This Matters

This study reveals how quickly and comprehensively mobile phone radiation can disrupt biological systems, even at the relatively low SAR of 0.15 W/kg - well below the 1.6 W/kg limit for phones in the US. The cascade of effects the researchers documented is particularly concerning: immediate oxidative stress, followed by widespread genetic reprogramming, culminating in increased cell death in reproductive tissue. While this was conducted in fruit flies, the fundamental cellular processes affected - DNA expression, oxidative balance, and programmed cell death - are shared across species. The science demonstrates that EMF exposure triggers what the researchers called 'cytopathic mechanisms' that alter 'fundamental genetic programs.' What this means for you is that the biological impact of mobile phone radiation extends far beyond heating effects, affecting the very machinery that controls cellular function and survival.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.15 W/kg
Exposure Duration
30 min

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.15 W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 11x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

The aim of this study is to observe Mobile-phone Radiation-induced Perturbation of Gene-expression Profiling, Redox Equilibrium and Sporadic-apoptosis Control in the Ovary of Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila melanogaster four days-old adult female flies were exposed for 30 min to radiation emitte...

ROS cellular contents were found to increase by 1.6-fold (x), immediately after the end of exposure,...

This unique type of pulsed radiation, mainly being derived from daily used mobile phones, seems capable of mobilizing critical cytopathic mechanisms, and altering fundamental genetic programs and networks in D. melanogaster

Cite This Study
Manta AK, Papadopoulou D, Polyzos AP, Fragopoulou AF, Skouroliakou AS, Thanos D, Stravopodis DJ, Margaritis LH. (2017). Mobile-phone Radiation-induced Perturbation of Gene-expression Profiling, Redox Equilibrium and Sporadic-apoptosis Control in the Ovary of Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin). 11(2):75-95, 2017.
Show BibTeX
@article{ak_2017_mobilephone_radiationinduced_perturbation_of_548,
  author = {Manta AK and Papadopoulou D and Polyzos AP and Fragopoulou AF and Skouroliakou AS and Thanos D and Stravopodis DJ and Margaritis LH.},
  title = {Mobile-phone Radiation-induced Perturbation of Gene-expression Profiling, Redox Equilibrium and Sporadic-apoptosis Control in the Ovary of Drosophila melanogaster.},
  year = {2017},
  doi = {10.1080/19336934.2016.1270487},
  url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336934.2016.1270487},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed fruit flies to mobile phone radiation for just 30 minutes and found significant biological disruptions in their ovaries. The exposure caused a 60% increase in harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species, altered the activity of 168 genes, and doubled the rate of cell death in reproductive tissue. These findings suggest that even brief exposure to cell phone radiation can trigger cellular stress and damage reproductive cells.