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Oxidative Stress107 citations

ROS release and Hsp70 expression after exposure to 1,800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in primary human monocytes and lymphocytes.

No Effects Found

Lantow M, Lupke M, Frahm J, Mattsson MO, Kuster N, Simko M. · 2006

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This study found no oxidative stress effects from cell phone-level RF radiation in immune cells during short exposures.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed human immune cells (monocytes and lymphocytes) to cell phone radiation at 1,800 MHz for 30-45 minutes to see if it would trigger oxidative stress or cellular stress responses. They found no meaningful biological effects from the RF exposure, with any statistical differences appearing to be due to measurement variations rather than actual cellular damage.

Why This Matters

This study represents one of many investigations into whether RF radiation triggers oxidative stress, a key mechanism by which EMF exposure might harm cells. The 2 W/kg exposure level used here is at the upper limit of what current phones are allowed to emit, making these findings relevant to real-world exposures. While the researchers found no clear evidence of cellular stress responses, this single study must be viewed within the broader body of research on RF and oxidative stress. The science demonstrates that some studies do find oxidative stress effects from RF exposure, while others like this one do not. What this means for you is that the research picture remains mixed, and the absence of effects in short-term laboratory studies doesn't necessarily rule out longer-term or cumulative effects that might occur with daily phone use over years.

Exposure Details

SAR
2 W/kg
Exposure Duration
30 or 45 min of continuous or intermittent (5 min ON/5 min OFF) exposure

Exposure Context

This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

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 Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 2 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 1 times the FCC limit

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate if 1,800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) release and/or changes in heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression in human blood cells, using different exposure and co-exposure conditions.

Human umbilical cord blood-derived monocytes and lymphocytes were used to examine ROS release after ...

The PMA treatment induced a significant increase in ROS production in human monocytes and lymphocyte...

The Hsp70 expression level after 0, 1, and 2 h post-exposure to GSM-DTX signal at 2 W/kg for 1 h did not show any differences compared to the incubator or to sham control.

Cite This Study
Lantow M, Lupke M, Frahm J, Mattsson MO, Kuster N, Simko M. (2006). ROS release and Hsp70 expression after exposure to 1,800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in primary human monocytes and lymphocytes. Radiat Environ Biophys. 45(1):55-62, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2006_ros_release_and_hsp70_2883,
  author = {Lantow M and Lupke M and Frahm J and Mattsson MO and Kuster N and Simko M.},
  title = {ROS release and Hsp70 expression after exposure to 1,800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in primary human monocytes and lymphocytes.},
  year = {2006},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16552570/},
}
PubMed: 16552570

Cited By (107 papers)

View all 107 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

No, a 2006 study found that 1,800 MHz cell phone radiation at 2 W/kg for 30-45 minutes caused no meaningful damage to human monocytes and lymphocytes. Any statistical differences appeared due to measurement variations rather than actual cellular harm from the radiofrequency exposure.
Research shows GSM-DTX signals at 1,800 MHz do not trigger cellular stress responses in human immune cells. The study measured Hsp70 stress protein levels after one hour of exposure and found no differences compared to unexposed control cells.
No significant ROS increase occurs in human monocytes after 1,800 MHz radiofrequency exposure. While one measurement showed statistical differences, researchers determined this resulted from lowered sham control values rather than actual radiation-induced oxidative stress in the cells.
Human lymphocytes show no effects from 2 W/kg cell phone radiation at 1,800 MHz. The 2006 study found no differences in ROS production or stress protein expression in lymphocytes after 30-45 minutes of continuous or intermittent GSM exposure.
Based on research using 1,800 MHz GSM signals, radiofrequency radiation does not affect human immune cells even after 45 minutes of exposure. Researchers also found no delayed effects when measuring stress responses up to two hours post-exposure.