Effects of GSM 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on DNA damage in Chinese hamster lung cells.
Zhang DY, Xu ZP, Chiang H, Lu DQ, Zeng QL. · 2006
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation caused DNA damage in lung cells after 24-hour exposure at levels higher than typical phone use but within range of prolonged device contact.
Plain English Summary
Chinese researchers exposed hamster lung cells to cell phone radiation at 1800 MHz (the frequency used by GSM networks) for either 1 or 24 hours to see if it would damage DNA. They found that 24-hour exposure at high intensity (3.0 W/kg) significantly increased DNA damage markers compared to unexposed cells, while 1-hour exposure showed no effect. This suggests that prolonged exposure to cell phone-type radiation may harm cellular DNA.
Why This Matters
This study adds to the growing body of evidence that radiofrequency radiation can cause biological damage at the cellular level. The researchers used a well-established marker for DNA damage (gammaH2AX foci) and found a clear dose-response relationship - longer exposure produced more damage. The 3.0 W/kg exposure level is higher than typical cell phone use (which ranges from 0.2-1.6 W/kg), but it's within the range that could occur with prolonged close contact or multiple device use. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates DNA damage can occur without heating effects, challenging the wireless industry's position that only thermal effects matter. The reality is that our cells are being exposed to this type of radiation for many hours daily through smartphones, WiFi, and other wireless devices. While we can't eliminate all exposure, this research reinforces why reducing unnecessary exposure - especially during sleep when cellular repair processes are most active - is a prudent approach.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 3 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1800 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 or 24 hours
Exposure Context
This study used 3 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 7.5x 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
To study the effects of GSM 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) on DNA damage in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells.
The cells were intermittently exposed or sham-exposed to GSM 1800 MHz RF EMF (5 minutes on/10 minute...
The percentage of gammaH2AX foci positive cell of 1800 MHz RF EMF exposure for 24 hours (37.9 +/- 8....
1800 MHz RF EMF (SAR, 3.0 W/kg) for 24 hours might induce DNA damage in CHL cells.
Show BibTeX
@article{dy_2006_effects_of_gsm_1800_781,
author = {Zhang DY and Xu ZP and Chiang H and Lu DQ and Zeng QL.},
title = {Effects of GSM 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on DNA damage in Chinese hamster lung cells.},
year = {2006},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/med/16836873},
}