[Increased occurrence of nuclear cataract in the calf after erection of a mobile phone base station].
Hässig M, Jud F, Spiess B. · 2012
View Original AbstractCalves near a new cell tower showed 3.5 times higher cataract rates, suggesting developmental vulnerability to chronic RF exposure.
Plain English Summary
Swiss researchers investigated a dairy farm where calves developed nuclear cataracts (clouding of the eye lens) at unusually high rates after a cell tower was installed nearby. They found calves born at this farm had a 3.5 times higher risk of severe cataracts compared to the national average, after ruling out common causes like infections or poisoning. While the researchers couldn't definitively prove the cell tower caused the cataracts, they couldn't identify any other explanation for the dramatic increase.
Why This Matters
This study represents exactly the kind of real-world observation that demands our attention in the EMF health debate. When veterinary researchers document a 3.5-fold increase in birth defects following cell tower installation - after systematically ruling out known causes - we're looking at compelling field evidence that something changed in that environment. The eye lens is particularly vulnerable to EMF exposure because it lacks blood circulation to repair cellular damage, making cataracts a biologically plausible outcome. While this is observational data from animals rather than controlled human studies, it adds to growing concerns about chronic EMF exposure from telecommunications infrastructure. The reality is that cell towers emit radiofrequency radiation 24/7, and this Swiss farm provides a natural experiment showing what can happen when that exposure begins during critical developmental periods.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The aim of this study Is to investigate Increased occurrence of nuclear cataract in the calf after erection of a mobile phone base station
We examined and monitored a dairy farm in which a large number of calves were born with nuclear cata...
Calves showed a 3.5 times higher risk for heavy cataract if born there compared to Swiss average. Al...
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2012_increased_occurrence_of_nuclear_2187,
author = {Hässig M and Jud F and Spiess B.},
title = {[Increased occurrence of nuclear cataract in the calf after erection of a mobile phone base station].},
year = {2012},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22287140/},
}