Exposure to 1.8 GHz electromagnetic fields affects morphology, DNA-related Raman spectra and mitochondrial functions in human lympho-monocytes.
Lasalvia M, Scrima R, Perna G, Piccoli C, Capitanio N, et al. · 2018
View Original AbstractRadiofrequency radiation at cell phone-relevant levels caused visible cell damage and DNA changes in human immune cells within hours.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human immune cells to 1.8 GHz cell phone radiation for up to 20 hours. The radiation caused cell deformation, DNA changes, and disrupted cellular energy production. These findings raise safety concerns about long-term EMF exposure effects on human health.
Why This Matters
This Italian study provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation at levels we encounter daily can trigger measurable biological changes in human immune cells. The 200 V/m exposure level used here falls within the range of what you might experience near cell towers or when using wireless devices extensively. What makes this research particularly significant is that it documents multiple simultaneous effects - from visible cell deformation to DNA structural changes to mitochondrial dysfunction. The fact that cells developed apparent compensatory mechanisms suggests they were under biological stress. While the researchers appropriately call for more studies, this adds to a growing body of evidence that our current safety standards may not adequately protect against non-thermal biological effects from chronic EMF exposure.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 200 V/m
- Source/Device
- 1.8 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 to 20 hours
Exposure Context
This study used 200 V/m for electric fields:
- 666.7x 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 aim of this study is to investigate Exposure to 1.8 GHz electromagnetic fields affects morphology, DNA-related Raman spectra and mitochondrial functions in human lympho-monocytes.
In this study, the occurrence of biochemical/biological modifications in human peripheral blood lymp...
Morphological analysis of adherent cells unveiled, in some of these, appearance of an enlarged and d...
This results suggest the occurrence of adaptive mechanisms put in action, likely via redox signaling, to compensate for early impairments of the oxidative phosphorylation system caused by exposure to EMFs. Overall the data presented warn for health safety of people involved in long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields, although further studies are required to pinpoint the leukocyte cellular subset(s) selectively targeted by the EMFs action and the mechanisms by which it is achieved.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2018_exposure_to_18_ghz_1070,
author = {Lasalvia M and Scrima R and Perna G and Piccoli C and Capitanio N and et al.},
title = {Exposure to 1.8 GHz electromagnetic fields affects morphology, DNA-related Raman spectra and mitochondrial functions in human lympho-monocytes.},
year = {2018},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0192894&billing_country=US},
}