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Effect of electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation on the rats' brain, liver and kidney cells measured by comet assay.

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Trosić I, Pavicić I, Milković-Kraus S, Mladinić M, Zeljezić D. · 2011

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Repeated 915 MHz irradiation suggested possible DNA breaks in rat liver and kidney cells, but tail intensity differences between exposed and control animals were not significant.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed male Wistar rats to 915 MHz radiofrequency radiation with GSM modulation at a whole-body average SAR of 0.6 W/kg for one hour per day, seven days per week over two weeks. A comet assay was used to assess DNA damage, measuring tail length and tail intensity. Tail length notably differed in liver and kidney homogenates of exposed animals compared to sham controls, and the tail was slightly elongated in irradiated animals' brain cells. The results suggest that repeated 915 MHz irradiation could be a cause of DNA breaks in renal and liver cells, but did not affect the cell genome at a higher extent compared to basal damage.

Why This Matters

Nine exposed rats were compared with nine sham-irradiated controls, and body temperature was measured before and after exposure with no differences found between the groups. The comet assay evaluated DNA damage using tail length and tail intensity as the key parameters. Brain cell tail length in exposed animals was 14.0 +/- 0.3 microm compared with 13.5 +/- 0.7 microm in controls, described as a slight elongation. Liver tail length in exposed animals was 14.5 +/- 0.3 microm versus 13.6 +/- 0.3 microm in sham controls, and kidney tail length was 13.9 +/- 0.5 microm versus 12.9 +/- 0.9 microm in sham controls. Despite these tail length differences, the researchers noted that any DNA effects did not exceed the level of basal damage already present.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.24 mW/cm²
Source/Device
915 MHz GSM Mobile
Exposure Duration
1 hour a day, 7 days a week, for 2 weeks

Exposure Context

This study used 0.24 mW/cm² for radio frequency:

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 ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.24 mW/cm²Extreme Concern - 1,000 µW/m²FCC Limit - 10M µW/m²Effects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 4 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 915 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 915 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The goal of study was to evaluate DNA damage in rat's renal, liver and brain cells after in vivo exposure to radiofrequency/microwave (Rf/Mw) radiation of cellular phone frequencies range.

To determine DNA damage, a single cell gel electrophoresis/comet assay was used. Wistar rats (male, ...

In comparison with tail length in controls (13.5 +/- 0.7 microm), the tail was slightly elongated in...

The results of this study suggest that, under the experimental conditions applied, repeated 915 MHz irradiation could be a cause of DNA breaks in renal and liver cells, but not affect the cell genome at the higher extent compared to the basal damage.

Cite This Study
Trosić I, Pavicić I, Milković-Kraus S, Mladinić M, Zeljezić D. (2011). Effect of electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation on the rats' brain, liver and kidney cells measured by comet assay. Coll Antropol 35:1259-1264, 2011.
Show BibTeX
@article{i_2011_effect_of_electromagnetic_radiofrequency_5,
  author = {Trosić I and Pavicić I and Milković-Kraus S and Mladinić M and Zeljezić D.},
  title = {Effect of electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation on the rats' brain, liver and kidney cells measured by comet assay.},
  year = {2011},
  
  url = {http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/112380},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Male Wistar rats about 12 weeks old and weighing approximately 350 g were exposed to 915 MHz GSM radiation at a SAR of 0.6 W/kg for one hour per day, seven days per week over two weeks.
Body temperature was measured before and after exposure, and there were no differences in temperature between control and treated animals.
Tail length in liver and kidney homogenates notably differed from sham controls, while brain cells showed only a slight elongation.
Differences in tail intensity between control and exposed animals were not significant.
The results suggest that repeated 915 MHz irradiation could be a cause of DNA breaks in renal and liver cells, but did not affect the cell genome at a higher extent compared to basal damage.