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Oxidative and genotoxic effects of 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

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Tkalec M, Stambuk A, Srut M, Malarić K, Klobučar GI. · 2013

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Earthworms showed DNA damage from all tested levels of 900 MHz cell phone radiation, with modulated signals causing more harm than continuous exposure.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Croatian researchers exposed earthworms to 900 MHz cell phone radiation for 2-4 hours and found significant DNA damage at all tested levels, even the lowest exposure of 10 V/m. The radiation also triggered oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) and damaged proteins and fats in the worms' cells. Importantly, modulated signals like those used by cell phones caused even more DNA damage than continuous radiation.

Why This Matters

This study matters because it demonstrates DNA damage from 900 MHz radiation at relatively low exposure levels using a well-established laboratory organism. While earthworms aren't humans, they share fundamental cellular processes with us, and the Comet assay used here is a gold standard for detecting DNA breaks. The finding that modulated signals caused more damage than continuous waves is particularly relevant since cell phones use modulated signals. The exposure levels tested (10-120 V/m) encompass what you might encounter near cell towers or when using wireless devices, though direct comparisons are complex due to different measurement methods. What's striking is that DNA damage occurred at every exposure level tested, with no apparent threshold below which effects disappeared. This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that current safety standards, which only consider heating effects, may not adequately protect against biological damage from radiofrequency radiation.

Exposure Details

Electric Field
10, 23, 41 and 120 V/m
Source/Device
900 MHz
Exposure Duration
2 h

Exposure Context

This study used 10, 23, 41 and 120 V/m for electric fields:

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.

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

In this study the oxidative and genotoxic effects were investigated in earthworms Eisenia fetida exposed in vivo to RF-EMF at the mobile phone frequency (900 MHz).

Earthworms were exposed to the homogeneous RF-EMF at field levels of 10, 23, 41 and 120 V m(-1) for ...

All exposure treatments induced significant genotoxic effect in earthworms coelomocytes detected by ...

Nature of detected DNA lesions and oxidative stress as the mechanism of action for the induction of DNA damage are discussed.

Cite This Study
Tkalec M, Stambuk A, Srut M, Malarić K, Klobučar GI. (2013). Oxidative and genotoxic effects of 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 90:7-12, 2013.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2013_oxidative_and_genotoxic_effects_575,
  author = {Tkalec M and Stambuk A and Srut M and Malarić K and Klobučar GI.},
  title = {Oxidative and genotoxic effects of 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in the earthworm Eisenia fetida.},
  year = {2013},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23352129/},
}
PubMed: 23352129

Cited By (44 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, Croatian researchers found that 900 MHz cell phone radiation caused significant DNA damage in earthworms at all tested levels, including the lowest exposure of 10 V/m. The damage occurred after just 2-4 hours of exposure, with modulated signals causing even more genetic damage than continuous radiation.
Yes, 900 MHz radiation triggered oxidative stress in earthworms by generating harmful molecules that damaged cellular proteins and fats. The study showed enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity as the worms' cells attempted to defend against this radiation-induced cellular damage.
Yes, according to this earthworm study, modulated 900 MHz signals like those used by cell phones caused significantly more DNA damage than continuous radiation. This suggests that the pulsing nature of cell phone signals may be more biologically harmful than steady radiation.
DNA damage occurred at all tested levels of 900 MHz radiation, including the lowest exposure of 10 V/m. The Croatian study found that even this minimal level caused significant genetic damage in earthworms after 2-4 hours, suggesting no safe threshold was identified.
DNA damage and oxidative stress occurred within 2-4 hours of 900 MHz radiation exposure in earthworms. The study showed that cellular damage, including harm to proteins and fats, developed rapidly even at the shortest exposure duration tested.