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DNA & Genetic Damage

DNA strand breaks are not induced in human cells exposed to 2.1425 GHz band CW and W-CDMA modulated radiofrequency fields allocated to mobile radio base stations.

No Effects Found

Sakuma N, Komatsubara Y, Takeda H, Hirose H, Sekijima M, Nojima T, Miyakoshi J. · 2006

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Cell tower radiation at 2.1425 GHz caused no DNA damage at levels up to 10 times higher than public exposure limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed human brain and lung cells to 2.1425 GHz radiofrequency radiation at levels up to 10 times higher than public safety limits for up to 24 hours. They found no DNA damage in either cell type, even at the highest exposure levels tested. This suggests that cell phone tower radiation at these frequencies doesn't break DNA strands under laboratory conditions.

Why This Matters

This study provides reassuring evidence that radiofrequency fields from cell towers don't cause direct DNA damage at exposure levels well above what the public typically encounters. The researchers tested exposures up to 800 mW/kg - that's 10 times higher than the international safety limit of 80 mW/kg for whole-body exposure from base stations. What makes this research particularly valuable is its focus on the specific 2.1425 GHz frequency used by 3G networks and its comparison of both continuous wave and modulated signals.

However, this single study shouldn't be viewed in isolation. DNA strand breaks represent just one potential mechanism of biological harm from EMF exposure. The science demonstrates that radiofrequency fields can affect cells through other pathways, including oxidative stress and cellular signaling disruption. While these findings are encouraging regarding direct genetic damage, they don't address other documented biological effects or the cumulative impact of long-term, low-level exposures that characterize real-world conditions.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.08, 0.25, 0.8 W/kg
Source/Device
2.1425 GHz
Exposure Duration
2 or 24 hours

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.08, 0.25, 0.8 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Severe Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 20 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 2.14 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 2.14 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

We conducted a large-scale in vitro study focused on the effects of low level radiofrequency (RF) fields from mobile radio base stations employing the International Mobile Telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) cellular system in order to test the hypothesis that modulated RF fields may act as a DNA damaging agent

First, we evaluated the responses of human cells to microwave exposure at a specific absorption rate...

Under the same RF field exposure conditions, no significant differences in the DNA strand breaks wer...

Our results confirm that low level exposures do not act as a genotoxicant up to a SAR of 800 mW/kg.

Cite This Study
Sakuma N, Komatsubara Y, Takeda H, Hirose H, Sekijima M, Nojima T, Miyakoshi J. (2006). DNA strand breaks are not induced in human cells exposed to 2.1425 GHz band CW and W-CDMA modulated radiofrequency fields allocated to mobile radio base stations. Bioelectromagnetics 27:51-57, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{n_2006_dna_strand_breaks_are_2927,
  author = {Sakuma N and Komatsubara Y and Takeda H and Hirose H and Sekijima M and Nojima T and Miyakoshi J.},
  title = {DNA strand breaks are not induced in human cells exposed to 2.1425 GHz band CW and W-CDMA modulated radiofrequency fields allocated to mobile radio base stations.},
  year = {2006},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20179},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20179},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20179

Cited By (67 papers)

View all 67 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

No, a 2006 study found that 2.1425 GHz radiation from cell towers does not break DNA strands in human brain and lung cells. Researchers exposed cells to radiation levels up to 10 times higher than public safety limits for 24 hours without detecting DNA damage.
No, the 2006 Sakuma study found no difference in DNA damage between W-CDMA modulated signals and continuous wave radiation at 2.1425 GHz. Both exposure types showed no significant DNA strand breaks compared to unexposed control cells in laboratory tests.
Research suggests SAR levels up to 800 mW/kg do not cause DNA strand breaks in human cells. A 2006 study exposed brain and lung cells to 2.1425 GHz radiation at this level for 24 hours without detecting genetic damage.
No, human lung cells showed no DNA strand breaks when exposed to 2.1425 GHz cell tower radiation for up to 24 hours. The 2006 study tested exposure levels 10 times higher than public safety limits without finding genetic damage.
Human brain and lung cells showed no DNA strand breaks after 24 hours of continuous exposure to 2.1425 GHz radiation. The 2006 research tested various exposure durations at levels up to 800 mW/kg without detecting genetic damage.