Enhancement of chemically induced reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells by 872MHz radiofrequency radiation.
Luukkonen J, Hakulinen P, Mäki-Paakkanen J, Juutilainen J, Naarala J. · 2009
View Original AbstractHigh-intensity RF radiation can amplify DNA damage in stressed brain cells, but signal type matters as much as power level.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human brain cells to radiofrequency radiation at 872 MHz (similar to older cell phone frequencies) combined with a chemical that creates cellular damage. They found that continuous wave RF radiation at high intensity (5 W/kg SAR) increased both harmful oxygen molecules and DNA damage compared to the chemical alone. Interestingly, pulsed signals like those used in GSM phones showed no such effects, even at the same power level.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning interaction between RF radiation and cellular stress that deserves attention. The 5 W/kg SAR level used here is extremely high - about 25 times higher than current regulatory limits for cell phones - but the finding that RF can amplify chemically-induced damage suggests our cells may be more vulnerable when already under stress. What makes this particularly intriguing is that only continuous wave signals caused problems, while GSM-type pulsed signals did not, despite identical power levels. This points to signal characteristics mattering as much as power output. The research adds to growing evidence that RF radiation can interact with biological systems in ways we don't fully understand, especially when cells are already compromised by other environmental toxins or stressors.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 5 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 872 MHz RF
- Exposure Duration
- 1h
Exposure Context
This study used 5 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 12.5x 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
The objective of the study was to investigate effects of 872 MHz radiofrequency (RF) radiation on intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA damage at a relatively high SAR value (5 W/kg).
The experiments involved combined exposure to RF radiation and menadione, a chemical inducing intrac...
The results of the present study suggest that 872 MHz CW RF radiation at 5 W/kg might enhance chemically induced ROS production and thus cause secondary DNA damage. However, there is no known mechanism that would explain such effects from CW RF radiation but not from GSM modulated RF radiation at identical SAR.
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2009_enhancement_of_chemically_induced_16,
author = {Luukkonen J and Hakulinen P and Mäki-Paakkanen J and Juutilainen J and Naarala J.},
title = {Enhancement of chemically induced reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells by 872MHz radiofrequency radiation.},
year = {2009},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0027510708003199},
}