Exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces caspase 3 activation in proliferating human lymphocytes
Palumbo R, Brescia F, Capasso D, Sannino A, Sarti M, Capri M, Grassilli E, Scarfì MR · 2008
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation activated cell death pathways in dividing immune cells by 22-32% at typical phone exposure levels.
Plain English Summary
Italian researchers exposed human immune cells to cell phone radiation for one hour and found a 22-32% increase in caspase 3, an enzyme linked to cellular stress. The effect only occurred in actively dividing cells, suggesting mobile phone radiation may impact growing immune cells.
Why This Matters
This study adds to mounting evidence that radiofrequency radiation affects cellular processes at exposure levels similar to those from everyday devices. The 1.35 W/kg SAR used here falls within the range of typical cell phone emissions during calls. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows RF radiation specifically affects proliferating immune cells - the very cells your body relies on to fight infections and maintain health. The fact that resting cells showed no effect suggests the radiation interferes with cellular division processes. While the researchers didn't observe immediate cell death, the activation of caspase 3 indicates cellular stress that could have longer-term consequences. The reality is that your immune system is constantly producing new cells, making this finding relevant to daily EMF exposure from phones and wireless devices.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.35 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1h
Exposure Context
This study used 1.35 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 3.4x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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
In this study, the induction of apoptosis after exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (GSM signal) was investigated by assessing caspase 3 activation in exponentially growing Jurkat cells and in quiescent and proliferating human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs).
The exposure was carried out at an average specific absorption rate of 1.35 W/kg in a dual wire patc...
After 1 h exposure to the radiofrequency field, a slight but statistically significant increase in c...
Further studies are warranted to investigate the biological significance of our findings of a dose-response increase in caspase 3 activity after exposure to radiofrequency radiation.
Show BibTeX
@article{r_2008_exposure_to_900_mhz_1247,
author = {Palumbo R and Brescia F and Capasso D and Sannino A and Sarti M and Capri M and Grassilli E and Scarfì MR},
title = {Exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces caspase 3 activation in proliferating human lymphocytes},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18763855/},
}