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Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress response in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to short-term 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation

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Marjanovic Cermak AM, Pavicic I, Trosic I · 2017

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Brain cells show oxidative damage from cell phone radiation in under an hour at levels below current safety limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Croatian researchers exposed human brain cells to cell phone radiation for 10-60 minutes and found significant cellular damage. Even brief exposures increased harmful molecules that damage cells, with one hour causing damage to fats and proteins. This shows brain cells are vulnerable to short-term radiation exposure.

Why This Matters

This research adds to mounting evidence that radiofrequency radiation triggers oxidative stress in brain cells, even at exposure levels within current safety guidelines. The 1.6 W/kg SAR used in this study is below the 2.0 W/kg limit for mobile phones in many countries, yet still produced measurable cellular damage within an hour. What makes this study particularly significant is that it used human neuroblastoma cells, which closely mimic brain tissue responses. The finding that oxidative stress occurred at all exposure durations tested suggests that even brief phone calls may initiate cellular damage processes. The science demonstrates that current safety standards, based solely on heating effects, fail to account for these non-thermal biological responses that occur at much lower exposure levels.

Exposure Details

SAR
1.6 W/kg
Electric Field
30 V/m
Source/Device
1800 MHz
Exposure Duration
10, 30 and 60 minutes

Exposure Context

This study used 30 V/m for electric fields:

This study used 1.6 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 ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 1.6 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern rangeFCC limit is 1x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 1.80 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 1.80 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

To investigate the oxidative stress response in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to short-term 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation.

To test the proposed hypothesis, human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were exposed to 1800 MHz short-...

After radiation exposure, viability of irradiated cells remained within normal physiological values....

The results of our study showed enhanced susceptibility of SH-SY5Y cells for development of oxidative stress even after short-term RF exposure.

Cite This Study
Marjanovic Cermak AM, Pavicic I, Trosic I (2017). Oxidative stress response in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to short-term 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng. 2017 Nov 17:1-7. doi: 10.1080/10934529.2017.1383124.
Show BibTeX
@article{am_2017_oxidative_stress_response_in_1184,
  author = {Marjanovic Cermak AM and Pavicic I and Trosic I},
  title = {Oxidative stress response in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to short-term 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29148897/},
}
PubMed: 29148897

Cited By (29 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, Croatian researchers found that 1800 MHz radiation damaged SH-SY5Y brain cells within 10-60 minutes of exposure. The study showed increased harmful molecules at all exposure times, with one hour causing significant damage to cellular fats and proteins despite cells remaining viable.
Cell phone radiation at 1800 MHz causes oxidative stress in brain cells within just 10 minutes. Croatian scientists found significantly higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at every exposure time tested, from 10 minutes to one hour.
Yes, just 60 minutes of 1800 MHz radiation exposure caused significant protein damage in human brain cells. The Croatian study found that even brief exposures increased cellular damage markers, showing brain cells are vulnerable to short-term radiofrequency radiation.
Glutathione (GSH) levels peaked after 10 minutes of 1800 MHz exposure in brain cells, indicating the cellular antioxidant system was responding to radiation stress. This suggests cells attempt to defend against oxidative damage from radiofrequency radiation exposure.
Yes, the 2017 Croatian study revealed enhanced susceptibility of SH-SY5Y brain cells to oxidative stress from 1800 MHz radiation, even after short exposures. This finding suggests brain cells may be more vulnerable to cell phone frequencies than previously understood.