Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on seed germination and root meristematic cells of Allium cepa L.
Tkalec M, Malarić K, Pavlica M, Pevalek-Kozlina B, Vidaković-Cifrek Z. · 2009
View Original AbstractRF radiation at cell phone frequencies caused chromosome damage in dividing cells, with pulsed signals proving more harmful than continuous exposure.
Plain English Summary
Scientists exposed onion seeds to cell phone-level radiation (400 and 900 MHz) for two hours. While seeds germinated normally, their dividing cells showed significant chromosome damage and abnormalities. This suggests radiofrequency radiation can disrupt cellular processes even when overall growth appears unaffected.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation can cause genetic damage at the cellular level, even at non-thermal exposure levels. The researchers used onion root cells because they're a well-established model for studying genetic toxicity - when chemicals or radiation damage DNA, onion cells show the same types of chromosome abnormalities seen in human cells. What makes this particularly relevant is that the exposure levels (10-120 V/m electric field) overlap with what you might encounter near cell towers or when using wireless devices. The fact that modulated signals caused more damage than continuous waves mirrors how our wireless devices actually operate, transmitting in pulses rather than steady streams. The science demonstrates that RF radiation can interfere with mitosis (cell division), the fundamental process by which our bodies grow and repair themselves. While this was a plant study, the cellular mechanisms involved are remarkably similar across species.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 10, 23, 41 and 120 V/m
- Source/Device
- 400 and 900MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 hours
Exposure Context
This study used 10, 23, 41 and 120 V/m for electric fields:
- 33.3x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
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.
Study Details
The effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) on seed germination, primary root growth as well as mitotic activity and mitotic aberrations in root meristematic cells were examined
Seeds were exposed for 2h to EMFs of 400 and 900MHz at field strengths of 10, 23, 41 and 120Vm(-1). ...
Germination rate and root length did not change significantly after exposure to radiofrequency field...
Our results show that non-thermal exposure to the radiofrequency fields investigated here can induce mitotic aberrations in root meristematic cells of A. cepa. The observed effects were markedly dependent on the field frequencies applied as well as on field strength and modulation. Our findings also indicate that mitotic effects of RF-EMF could be due to impairment of the mitotic spindle.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2009_effects_of_radiofrequency_electromagnetic_1370,
author = {Tkalec M and Malarić K and Pavlica M and Pevalek-Kozlina B and Vidaković-Cifrek Z.},
title = {Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on seed germination and root meristematic cells of Allium cepa L.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19028599/#:~:text=Germination%20rate%20and%20root%20length,any%20of%20the%20treatment%20conditions.},
}