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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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Cell phone radiation caused measurable DNA damage in rat organs at exposure levels comparable to typical phone use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation (915 MHz) for one hour daily over two weeks and measured DNA damage in brain, liver, and kidney cells using the comet assay. They found measurable DNA breaks in liver and kidney cells, with slight increases in brain cells compared to unexposed control animals. This suggests that repeated exposure to cell phone-type radiation can cause genetic damage at the cellular level.

Why This Matters

This study adds to the growing body of evidence that radiofrequency radiation from cell phones can damage DNA at the cellular level. The exposure conditions (0.6 W/kg SAR) are well within the range of typical cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure. What's particularly significant is that the researchers detected DNA damage after just two weeks of one-hour daily exposures. The comet assay used here is a well-established method for detecting DNA strand breaks, giving these results strong scientific credibility. While the study was conducted on rats, DNA damage mechanisms are highly conserved across mammalian species, suggesting these effects could occur in humans under similar exposure conditions.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.24 µW/m²
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 µW/m² 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 ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.24 µW/m²Extreme Concern1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 41,666,667x higher than this exposure level

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

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation (915 MHz) for one hour daily over two weeks and measured DNA damage in brain, liver, and kidney cells using the comet assay. They found measurable DNA breaks in liver and kidney cells, with slight increases in brain cells compared to unexposed control animals. This suggests that repeated exposure to cell phone-type radiation can cause genetic damage at the cellular level.