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DNA & Genetic Damage

900 MHz radiation does not induce micronucleus formation in different cell types.

No Effects Found

Hintzsche H, Jastrow C, Kleine-Ostmann T, Schrader T, Stopper H. · 2012

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Mobile phone radiation at 900 MHz did not cause genetic damage in human cells, even in cell types previously shown sensitive to EMF effects.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

German researchers exposed human cells to 900 MHz radiation (the frequency used in mobile phones) to see if it would cause micronucleus formation, a type of genetic damage where chromosomes break apart during cell division. They tested two different cell types and found no genetic damage even after extending exposure times to match a full cell cycle. This suggests that mobile phone radiation at this frequency does not cause this particular type of DNA damage in laboratory conditions.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz

Study Details

The aim of this study was to investigate possible consequences of these mitotic disturbances as manifest genomic damage, i.e. micronucleus induction

Cells were irradiated at a frequency of 900 MHz, which is located in one of the main frequency bands...

Both cell types did not show any genomic damage after exposure. To adapt the protocol for the micron...

In conclusion, micronucleus induction was not observed as a consequence of exposure to non-ionising radiation, even though this agent was reported to cause mitotic disturbances under similar experimental conditions.

Cite This Study
Hintzsche H, Jastrow C, Kleine-Ostmann T, Schrader T, Stopper H. (2012). 900 MHz radiation does not induce micronucleus formation in different cell types. Mutagenesis. 27(4):477-483, 2012.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_2012_900_mhz_radiation_does_3084,
  author = {Hintzsche H and Jastrow C and Kleine-Ostmann T and Schrader T and Stopper H.},
  title = {900 MHz radiation does not induce micronucleus formation in different cell types.},
  year = {2012},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22416057/},
}
PubMed: 22416057

Cited By (13 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

No, German researchers found that 900 MHz radiation did not cause micronucleus formation in human cells. They tested two different cell types and found no genetic damage even after extending exposure times to match a full cell cycle, suggesting mobile phone radiation at this frequency doesn't cause this type of DNA damage.
Micronucleus formation occurs when chromosomes break apart during cell division, indicating genetic damage. A 2012 German study found that 900 MHz cell phone radiation did not induce micronucleus formation in human cells, even with extended exposure times matching complete cell cycles.
No, extending 900 MHz radiation exposure to match full cell cycle lengths did not cause DNA damage. German researchers specifically adapted their protocol to test longer exposures but found no increase in micronucleus formation or genomic damage in human cells.
The German study found that while 900 MHz radiation was previously reported to cause mitotic disturbances under similar conditions, it did not induce micronucleus formation. This suggests that mitotic disruption doesn't necessarily lead to the type of chromosomal damage that creates micronuclei.
Micronucleus tests appear reliable for detecting chromosomal damage from 900 MHz radiation. German researchers used established protocols and even extended exposure times to full cell cycles, finding no genetic damage. This suggests the test effectively shows that 900 MHz radiation doesn't cause this DNA damage type.