Effect of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on gene expression of rat neurons
Zhang SZ, Yao GD, Lu DQ, Chiang H, Xu ZP. · 2008
View Original AbstractBrain neurons showed significant genetic changes when exposed to cell phone-level EMF radiation, with intermittent exposure causing more disruption than continuous.
Plain English Summary
Chinese researchers exposed rat brain neurons to 1.8 GHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used in cell phones) at 2 W/kg for up to 24 hours. They found that 34 genes changed their expression patterns, including genes involved in brain cell structure and signaling. The changes were more pronounced with intermittent exposure than continuous exposure, suggesting that the pattern of EMF exposure matters for biological effects.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation directly alters gene expression in brain neurons at exposure levels comparable to heavy cell phone use. The 2 W/kg SAR used here falls within the range of typical smartphone emissions during calls. What makes this research particularly significant is the finding that intermittent exposure produced more dramatic genetic changes than continuous exposure. This mirrors real-world cell phone usage patterns and suggests that the pulsed nature of wireless communication may be more biologically disruptive than steady exposure. The affected genes control critical neuronal functions including cell structure and communication pathways. While this was a laboratory study on isolated neurons, it adds to a growing body of research demonstrating that EMF exposure can trigger measurable biological responses at the cellular level, even at regulatory-approved power levels.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1.8 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 24h,6h
Exposure Context
This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 5x 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
To investigate the changes of gene expression in rat neuron induced by 1.8 GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) to screen for RF EMF-responsive genes and the effect of different exposure times and modes on the gene expression in neuron.
Total RNA was extracted immediately and purified from the primary culture of neurons after intermitt...
Among 1200 candidate genes, 24 up-regulated and 10 down-regulated genes were found by using Affymetr...
The changes of many genes transcription were involved in the effect of 1.8 GHz RF EMF on rat neurons; Down-regulation of Egr-1 and up-regulation of Mbp, Plp indicated the negative effects of RF EMF on neurons; The effect of RF intermittent exposure on gene expression was more obvious than that of continuous exposure; The effect of 24 h RF exposure (both intermittent and continuous) on gene expression was more obvious than that of 6 h (both intermittent and continuous).
Show BibTeX
@article{sz_2008_effect_of_18_ghz_23,
author = {Zhang SZ and Yao GD and Lu DQ and Chiang H and Xu ZP.},
title = {Effect of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on gene expression of rat neurons},
year = {2008},
url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19358751},
}