Exposure to 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation impairs neurite outgrowth of embryonic neural stem cells.
Chen C, Ma Q, Liu C, Deng P, Zhu G, Zhang L, He M, Lu Y, Duan W, Pei L, Li M, Yu Z, Zhou Z. · 2014
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation impaired brain cell development at exposure levels similar to typical phone use, raising concerns about EMF exposure during pregnancy.
Plain English Summary
Scientists exposed developing brain cells to cell phone radiation at 1800 MHz for three days. The radiation didn't kill cells but significantly impaired their ability to grow connections needed for proper brain function, suggesting potential risks to brain development during pregnancy.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning finding about how radiofrequency radiation affects the fundamental building blocks of brain development. The researchers found that exposure at 4 W/kg - a level within the range of typical cell phone emissions - disrupted the growth of neurites, which are essentially the 'wiring' that allows brain cells to communicate. What makes this particularly significant is that the effect occurred in embryonic neural stem cells, which are critical during fetal brain development. The study used rigorous methodology, testing multiple exposure levels and durations, and found dose-dependent effects. While this was conducted in laboratory cell cultures rather than living organisms, it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that developing brains may be particularly vulnerable to EMF exposure. For pregnant women, this research underscores the importance of minimizing unnecessary EMF exposure, especially from devices held close to the body.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1, 2, and 4 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1800 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1, 2, and 3 days
Exposure Context
This study used 1, 2, and 4 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Exposure to 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation impairs neurite outgrowth of embryonic neural stem cells
Here, we exposed eNSCs to 1800 MHz RF-EMF at specific absorption rate (SAR) values of 1, 2, and 4 W/...
We found that 1800 MHz RF-EMF exposure did not influence eNSC apoptosis, proliferation, cell cycle o...
These results together suggested that 1800 MHz RF-EMF exposure impairs neurite outgrowth of eNSCs. More attention should be given to the potential adverse effects of RF-EMF exposure on brain development.
Show BibTeX
@article{c_2014_exposure_to_1800_mhz_900,
author = {Chen C and Ma Q and Liu C and Deng P and Zhu G and Zhang L and He M and Lu Y and Duan W and Pei L and Li M and Yu Z and Zhou Z.},
title = {Exposure to 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation impairs neurite outgrowth of embryonic neural stem cells.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24869783/},
}