In vitro exposure of human lymphocytes to 900 MHz CW and GSM modulated radiofrequency: studies of proliferation, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential.
Capri M, Scarcella E, Fumelli C, Bianchi E, Salvioli S, Mesirca P, Agostini C, Antolini A, Schiavoni A, Castellani G, Bersani F, Franceschi C. · 2004
View Original AbstractMobile phone signals affected human immune cells at typical use levels, but only when pulsed like real phone calls.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human immune cells to cell phone radiation for three days. GSM signals (used by mobile phones) slightly reduced immune cell growth and altered cell membranes, while steady radiation showed no effects. This suggests pulsed phone signals may uniquely affect immune function.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a critical distinction often overlooked in EMF research: the modulation pattern matters. The fact that GSM-modulated signals affected immune cells while continuous wave signals at the same power level did not suggests that the pulsed, data-carrying nature of modern wireless signals creates unique biological effects. The exposure levels used (70-76 mW/kg SAR) are well within the range of typical mobile phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure. While the effects observed were subtle, they occurred in fundamental immune system processes. The science demonstrates that our immune cells can detect and respond to the specific signal characteristics of mobile phone radiation, not just its heating effects. What this means for you is that the biological impact of wireless devices may depend heavily on how they transmit information, not just how much power they emit.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.07, 0.076 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 h/day for 3 days
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of this study was to investigate the nonthermal effects of radiofrequency (RF) fields on human immune cells exposed to a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) signal generated by a commercial cellular phone and by a sinusoidal non-modulated signal.
To assess whether mobile phone RF-field exposure affects human immune cell functions, peripheral blo...
Data obtained from cells exposed to a GSM-modulated RF field showed a slight decrease in cell prolif...
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2004_in_vitro_exposure_of_896,
author = {Capri M and Scarcella E and Fumelli C and Bianchi E and Salvioli S and Mesirca P and Agostini C and Antolini A and Schiavoni A and Castellani G and Bersani F and Franceschi C.},
title = {In vitro exposure of human lymphocytes to 900 MHz CW and GSM modulated radiofrequency: studies of proliferation, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential.},
year = {2004},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15387149/},
}