Effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation at 835 MHz on growth, morphology and secretory characteristics of a mast cell analogue, RBL-2H3.
Donnellan M, McKenzie DR, French PW. · 1997
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation altered immune cell behavior and growth patterns, with changes persisting for at least a week after exposure ended.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed immune cells called mast cells to cell phone radiation at 835 MHz for 20 minutes, three times daily for a week. They found that starting on day four, the cells began growing faster, changed shape, and became more reactive to chemical triggers. What's particularly concerning is that these changes persisted for at least a week after the radiation exposure ended, suggesting the effects may be long-lasting.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something important about how radiofrequency radiation affects our immune system at the cellular level. Mast cells play a crucial role in allergic reactions and immune responses, so changes in their behavior could have significant health implications. The power density used (8.1 mW/cm²) is within the range of what you might experience during a cell phone call held close to your head. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is that the cellular changes persisted for at least a week after exposure ended, suggesting that brief daily exposures could create cumulative effects. The science demonstrates that RF radiation can trigger biological changes through cellular signaling pathways, not just through heating effects as industry often claims.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 8.1 +/- 3 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 835 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 20 minutes, three times per day for 7 days
Exposure Context
This study used 8.1 +/- 3 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 300Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 5Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 aim of this study is to investigate Effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation at 835 MHz on growth, morphology and secretory characteristics of a mast cell analogue, RBL-2H3.
A mast cell line, RBL-2H3, was exposed to 835 MHz for 20 minutes, three times per day for 7 days at ...
From day 4 onwards, it was observed that the rate of DNA synthesis and cell replication increased, t...
It is hypothesized that effects of exposure to an electromagnetic field at 835 MHz may be mediated via a signal transduction pathway.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_1997_effects_of_exposure_to_1061,
author = {Donnellan M and McKenzie DR and French PW.},
title = {Effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation at 835 MHz on growth, morphology and secretory characteristics of a mast cell analogue, RBL-2H3.},
year = {1997},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9313343/},
}