Electromagnetic radiation at 835 MHz changes the morphology and inhibits proliferation of a human astrocytoma cell line.
French PW, Donnellan M, McKenzie DR, · 1997
View Original AbstractBrain cells showed more biological disruption from weaker EMF signals than stronger ones, challenging assumptions about EMF safety thresholds.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human brain tumor cells (astrocytoma) to 835 MHz radiation-similar to early cell phone frequencies-for 20 minutes three times daily over a week. They found that lower power levels actually caused more biological effects than higher power levels, including reduced DNA synthesis and dramatic changes in cell shape. This counterintuitive finding suggests that weaker EMF signals may disrupt cellular communication pathways in ways that stronger signals do not.
Why This Matters
This 1997 study reveals a critical principle that challenges common assumptions about EMF safety: more power doesn't necessarily mean more biological effect. The researchers found that 8.1 mW/cm² caused significant cellular changes while 40 mW/cm² showed fewer effects-a phenomenon known as non-linear dose response that appears throughout EMF research. The power levels tested here are comparable to what you might experience from a cell phone held close to your head during a call. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates EMF can alter fundamental cellular processes like DNA synthesis and cell structure at relatively low power levels. The study's focus on astrocytoma cells-a type of brain tumor cell-adds weight to concerns about EMF exposure to brain tissue, especially given that cell phones are typically held against the head during use.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 40 ± 15 or 8.1 ± 3 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 835 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 20 min, 3 times per day for 7 days
Exposure Context
This study used 40 ± 15 or 8.1 ± 3 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 300Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 5Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Electromagnetic radiation at 835 MHz changes the morphology and inhibits proliferation of a human astrocytoma cell line.
A human astrocytoma cell line, U-87 MG, was exposed to 835 MHz electromagnetic radiation for 20 min,...
At the lower power density, it was observed that the rate of DNA synthesis decreased, and that the c...
It is hypothesised that 835 MHz radiation at low power density may be affecting a signal transduction pathway involved in cell proliferation.
Show BibTeX
@article{pw_1997_electromagnetic_radiation_at_835_982,
author = {French PW and Donnellan M and McKenzie DR and},
title = {Electromagnetic radiation at 835 MHz changes the morphology and inhibits proliferation of a human astrocytoma cell line.},
year = {1997},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0302459897000354},
}