Effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure on in vitro models of neurodegenerative disease
Del Vecchio G, Giuliani A, Fernandez M, Mesirca P, Bersani F, Pinto R, Ardoino L, Lovisolo GA, Giardino L, Calzà L · 2009
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at typical exposure levels makes certain brain cells more vulnerable to oxidative damage from other toxins.
Plain English Summary
Italian researchers exposed brain cells to cell phone radiation (900 MHz GSM at 1 W/kg SAR) for 144 hours to see if it made them more vulnerable to damage. While the radiation alone didn't harm the cells, it made one type of brain cell significantly more vulnerable to damage from hydrogen peroxide, a common cellular toxin that causes oxidative stress.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning pattern we see repeatedly in EMF research: radiofrequency radiation may not cause immediate, obvious damage on its own, but it can make cells more vulnerable to other stressors. The 1 W/kg SAR level used here is within the range of everyday cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to your daily exposure. What makes this research particularly significant is that it used two different types of brain cells and found that the cholinergic cells (involved in memory and learning) showed increased vulnerability to oxidative damage when co-exposed to RF radiation. This suggests that EMF exposure might act as what researchers call a 'co-stressor,' weakening cellular defenses and making brain tissue more susceptible to damage from other environmental toxins or natural aging processes. The reality is that our brains face multiple stressors daily, and this research indicates that cell phone radiation could be amplifying their harmful effects.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz GSM
- Exposure Duration
- 144 h
Exposure Context
This study used 1 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
To study whether prolonged exposure to 900 MHz GSM modulated electromagnetic fields affects viability and vulnerability of neural cell cultures
In this work we tested viability, proliferation, and vulnerability of neural cells, after continuous...
Exposure to RF did not change viability/proliferation rate of the SN56 cholinergic cells or viabilit...
These data suggest that only under particular circumstances exposure to GSM modulated, 900 MHz signal act as a co‐stressor for oxidative damage of neural cells
Show BibTeX
@article{g_2009_effect_of_radiofrequency_electromagnetic_89,
author = {Del Vecchio G and Giuliani A and Fernandez M and Mesirca P and Bersani F and Pinto R and Ardoino L and Lovisolo GA and Giardino L and Calzà L},
title = {Effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure on in vitro models of neurodegenerative disease},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1002/bem.20507},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20507},
}