8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
DNA & Genetic Damage

Effect of Radiofrequency Radiation on Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

Bioeffects Seen

Gläser K, Rohland M, Kleine-Ostmann T, Schrader T, Stopper H, Hintzsche H. · 2016

View Original Abstract
Share:

Blood stem cells showed no harmful effects from cell phone radiation up to 4 W/kg SAR, even showing reduced DNA damage.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

German researchers exposed human blood stem cells (the cells that create all blood cells in your body) to cell phone radiation at three different frequencies for up to 66 hours. They tested multiple biological endpoints including DNA damage, cell death, and oxidative stress. Surprisingly, they found that GSM radiation actually caused a small decrease in DNA damage compared to unexposed cells, while showing no other significant effects.

Why This Matters

This study stands out in the EMF research landscape because it's the first to examine how cell phone radiation affects human hematopoietic stem cells, which are crucial for maintaining our blood and immune systems. The finding that GSM radiation decreased DNA damage is unexpected and contradicts the typical narrative that RF radiation increases cellular damage. However, we should interpret this cautiously. The exposure levels tested (up to 4 W/kg SAR) are significantly higher than typical phone use (around 1.6 W/kg maximum), and the controlled laboratory conditions don't reflect real-world exposure patterns. While this study suggests these particular stem cells may be relatively resistant to RF effects, it represents just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The broader body of research on RF radiation and cellular effects shows mixed results, with numerous studies documenting DNA damage and other biological changes at similar exposure levels.

Exposure Details

SAR
0 to 4 W/kg
Source/Device
GSM (900 MHz), UMTS (1,950 MHz) and LTE (2,535 MHz)
Exposure Duration
short period (4 h) and a long period (20 h/66 h)

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0 to 4 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the No Concern range
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz - 2.54 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHz - 2.54 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The goal of this study was to elucidate the extent to which cells of the hematopoietic system, particularly human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), were affected by mobile phone radiation.

We irradiated HSC and HL-60 cells at frequencies used in the major technologies, GSM (900 MHz), UMTS...

In all but one of these end points, we detected no clear effect of mobile phone radiation; the only ...

To our knowledge, this is the first published study in which putative effects (e.g., genotoxicity or influence on apoptosis rate) of radiofrequency radiation were investigated in HSC. Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields did not affect cells of the hematopoietic system, in particular HSC, under the given experimental conditions.

Cite This Study
Gläser K, Rohland M, Kleine-Ostmann T, Schrader T, Stopper H, Hintzsche H. (2016). Effect of Radiofrequency Radiation on Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Radiat Res. 186(5):455-465, 2016.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2016_effect_of_radiofrequency_radiation_1000,
  author = {Gläser K and Rohland M and Kleine-Ostmann T and Schrader T and Stopper H and Hintzsche H.},
  title = {Effect of Radiofrequency Radiation on Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells.},
  year = {2016},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27710704/},
}
PubMed: 27710704

Cited By (24 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

German researchers found that GSM 900 MHz radiation actually caused a small decrease in DNA damage in human blood stem cells compared to unexposed cells. The study exposed stem cells for up to 66 hours and found no other significant biological effects.
A 2016 study found no clear effects from UMTS 1950 MHz radiation on human hematopoietic stem cells. Researchers tested multiple biological endpoints including cell death and oxidative stress over 66 hours of exposure with no significant changes detected.
Research shows LTE 2535 MHz radiation does not harm human blood stem cells. German scientists exposed these critical blood-forming cells to LTE frequencies for up to 66 hours and found no effects on cell death, oxidative stress, or other biological functions.
A German study exposed human blood stem cells to three different cell phone frequencies for up to 66 hours without finding harmful effects. The research tested GSM, UMTS, and LTE radiation on multiple biological endpoints with minimal impact detected.
Researchers found GSM 900 MHz radiation unexpectedly caused a small decrease in DNA damage in blood stem cells after 4 hours of exposure. This protective effect was statistically significant but small, and the biological mechanism behind this finding remains unclear.