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8-Oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine as a biomarker of DNA damage by mobile phone radiation.

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Khalil AM, Gagaa M, Alshamali A. · 2012

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Mobile phone radiation at typical usage levels caused measurable DNA damage in rats within 2 hours of exposure.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation at typical call levels for 2 hours and measured DNA damage markers in their urine. They found significant increases in 8-oxodG, indicating DNA damage from oxidative stress, suggesting mobile phone radiation can cause measurable cellular damage.

Why This Matters

This study provides direct biological evidence that mobile phone radiation at everyday exposure levels can damage DNA through oxidative stress mechanisms. The 1.0 W/kg SAR used here falls within the range of typical cell phone emissions, making these findings highly relevant to human health concerns. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable DNA damage occurring within just 2 hours of exposure at levels millions of people experience daily. The fact that researchers could detect these biomarkers in urine shows the damage was substantial enough to trigger cellular repair mechanisms. While the study found evidence of DNA repair beginning after peak damage at 1 hour, the critical question remains whether chronic, repeated exposures might overwhelm these natural repair processes over time.

Exposure Details

SAR
1 W/kg
Source/Device
GSM Mobile
Exposure Duration
2h

Exposure Context

This study used 1 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

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: 1 W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 2x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

We examined the effect of exposure to mobile phone 1800 MHz radio frequency radiation (RFR) upon the urinary excretion of 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), one major form of oxidative DNA damage, in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Twenty-four rats were used in three independent experiments (RFR exposed and control, 12 rats, each)...

With the exception of the urine collected in the last half an hour of exposure, significant elevatio...

Significant differences were seen overall across time points of urine collection with a maximum at 1 h after exposure, suggesting repair of the DNA lesions leading to 8-oxodG formation.

Cite This Study
Khalil AM, Gagaa M, Alshamali A. (2012). 8-Oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine as a biomarker of DNA damage by mobile phone radiation. Hum ExpToxicol 31(7):734-740, 2012.
Show BibTeX
@article{am_2012_8oxo7_8dihydro2deoxyguanosine_as_a_4,
  author = {Khalil AM and Gagaa M and Alshamali A.},
  title = {8-Oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine as a biomarker of DNA damage by mobile phone radiation.},
  year = {2012},
  
  url = {http://het.sagepub.com/content/31/7/734.short},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation at typical call levels for 2 hours and measured DNA damage markers in their urine. They found significant increases in 8-oxodG, indicating DNA damage from oxidative stress, suggesting mobile phone radiation can cause measurable cellular damage.