Prevalence of nuclear cataract in Swiss veal calves and its possible association with mobile telephone antenna base stations.
Hässig M, Jud F, Naegeli H, Kupper J, Spiess BM. · 2009
View Original AbstractVeal calves near cell towers showed 32% cataract rates with increased oxidative stress, suggesting RF radiation harms developing eyes.
Plain English Summary
Swiss researchers studied 253 veal calves to see if mobile phone base stations could cause cataracts (clouding of the eye lens). They found that 32% of calves developed cataracts, with those exposed during early pregnancy showing higher rates of oxidative stress (cellular damage from free radicals) when living closer to cell towers. The study suggests a possible link between radio frequency radiation and eye damage during critical developmental periods.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing evidence that radio frequency radiation can trigger oxidative stress, particularly during vulnerable developmental windows. What makes this research significant is that it examined real-world exposure scenarios rather than controlled laboratory conditions, tracking animals from conception through development. The 32% cataract rate is striking, especially given that severe cataracts affected only 3.6% of calves, suggesting a spectrum of radiation-induced damage. While the researchers acknowledge other factors could contribute to cataracts, the clear association between proximity to base stations and oxidative stress markers provides biological plausibility for RF-induced harm. The study's limitation lies in not quantifying exact exposure levels, but the geographical tracking method offers a practical approach to understanding how everyday RF exposure affects developing organisms.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The purpose of this study was to valuate the prevalence of nuclear cataract in veal calves and to elucidate a possible impact by mobile phone base stations (MPBS).
For this experiment a cohort study was conducted. A follow-up of the geographical location of each d...
Of 253 calves, 79 (32 %) had various degrees of nuclear cataract, but only 9 (3.6 %) calves had seve...
This reflects, that there are a lot of other possibilities for nuclear cataract beside MPBS. Further studies on the influence of electromagnetic fields during embryonic development animal or person at risk are indicated
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2009_prevalence_of_nuclear_cataract_1644,
author = {Hässig M and Jud F and Naegeli H and Kupper J and Spiess BM.},
title = {Prevalence of nuclear cataract in Swiss veal calves and its possible association with mobile telephone antenna base stations.},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1024/0036-7281.151.10.471},
url = {https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1024/0036-7281.151.10.471},
}