915 MHz microwaves and 50 Hz magnetic field affect chromatin conformation and 53BP1 foci in human lymphocytes from hypersensitive and healthy persons.
Belyaev IY, Hillert L, Protopopova M, Tamm C, Malmgren LO, Persson BR, Selivanova G, Harms-Ringdahl M. · 2005
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation and power line magnetic fields cause DNA structure changes in human cells, triggering the same stress response as heat shock.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed white blood cells from healthy people and those with electromagnetic sensitivity to cell phone radiation (915 MHz). Both groups showed identical DNA structural changes similar to heat stress, confirming that electromagnetic fields cause measurable biological effects in human cells.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that EMF exposure creates measurable biological stress responses in human cells, even at relatively low levels. The 915 MHz exposure used a specific absorption rate of 0.037 W/kg, which is well below current safety limits but still within the range of typical mobile phone use. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates EMF-induced cellular stress occurs regardless of whether people report being electromagnetically sensitive. The chromatin condensation observed is a fundamental cellular stress response, similar to heat shock, indicating that EMF exposure triggers protective mechanisms in our cells. This suggests that while some people may be more aware of EMF effects, the underlying biological impact is universal and measurable at the cellular level.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.037 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 915 MHz GSM mobile phone
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
To investigate whether 915 MHz microwaves and 50 Hz magnetic field affect chromatin conformation and 53BP1 foci in human lymphocytes from hypersensitive and healthy persons.
We used exposure to microwaves from a global system for mobile communication (GSM) mobile phone (915...
Exposure at room temperature to either 915 MHz or 50 Hz resulted in significant condensation of chro...
In conclusion, 50 Hz magnetic field and 915 MHz microwaves under specified conditions of exposure induced comparable responses in lymphocytes from healthy and hypersensitive donors that were similar but not identical to stress response induced by heat shock.
Show BibTeX
@article{iy_2005_915_mhz_microwaves_and_39,
author = {Belyaev IY and Hillert L and Protopopova M and Tamm C and Malmgren LO and Persson BR and Selivanova G and Harms-Ringdahl M.},
title = {915 MHz microwaves and 50 Hz magnetic field affect chromatin conformation and 53BP1 foci in human lymphocytes from hypersensitive and healthy persons.},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1002/bem.20103},
url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bem.20103/abstract},
}