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Impact of 1.8-GHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on DNA damage and repair induced by doxorubicin in human B-cell lymphoblastoid cells.

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Zhijian C, Xiaoxue L, Yezhen L, Shijie C, Lifen J, Jianlin L, Deqiang L, Jiliang H. · 2010

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Cell phone radiation at regulatory limits impaired DNA repair in stressed immune cells, suggesting EMF exposure may be most harmful when bodies face other health challenges.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed human immune cells to cell phone radiation (1.8 GHz) combined with a chemotherapy drug (doxorubicin) to see how radiation affects DNA repair. They found that while the radiation alone didn't damage DNA, it significantly interfered with the cells' ability to repair DNA damage caused by the chemotherapy drug. This suggests that cell phone radiation may impair the body's natural DNA repair mechanisms when cells are already stressed.

Why This Matters

This study reveals a concerning interaction between radiofrequency radiation and DNA repair that goes beyond simple damage assessment. The researchers used a SAR level of 2 W/kg, which is at the current regulatory limit for cell phones in many countries. What's particularly troubling is that the radiation didn't need to cause DNA damage directly to create problems - it interfered with the cells' natural repair processes when they were already challenged by a toxic substance. This finding suggests that EMF exposure may be most harmful when our bodies are already under stress from other sources like illness, medication, or environmental toxins. The implications extend beyond cancer treatment to everyday scenarios where our cells face various stressors while we're simultaneously exposed to wireless radiation from phones, WiFi, and other devices.

Exposure Details

SAR
2 W/kg
Source/Device
1.8-GHz
Exposure Duration
2 hours

Exposure Context

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

Study Details

The aim of this study is to observe Impact of 1.8-GHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on DNA damage and repair induced by doxorubicin in human B-cell lymphoblastoid cells.

In the present in vitro study, a comet assay was used to determine whether 1.8-GHz radiofrequency ra...

The results demonstrated that (1) RFR could not directly induce DNA damage of human B-cell lymphobla...

Cite This Study
Zhijian C, Xiaoxue L, Yezhen L, Shijie C, Lifen J, Jianlin L, Deqiang L, Jiliang H. (2010). Impact of 1.8-GHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on DNA damage and repair induced by doxorubicin in human B-cell lymphoblastoid cells. Mutat Res. 695(1-2):16-21, 2010.
Show BibTeX
@article{c_2010_impact_of_18ghz_radiofrequency_783,
  author = {Zhijian C and Xiaoxue L and Yezhen L and Shijie C and Lifen J and Jianlin L and Deqiang L and Jiliang H.},
  title = {Impact of 1.8-GHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on DNA damage and repair induced by doxorubicin in human B-cell lymphoblastoid cells.},
  year = {2010},
  
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383571809003404},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed human immune cells to cell phone radiation (1.8 GHz) combined with a chemotherapy drug (doxorubicin) to see how radiation affects DNA repair. They found that while the radiation alone didn't damage DNA, it significantly interfered with the cells' ability to repair DNA damage caused by the chemotherapy drug. This suggests that cell phone radiation may impair the body's natural DNA repair mechanisms when cells are already stressed.