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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

DNA & Genetic Damage

Gene expression does not change significantly in C3H 10T(1/2) cells after exposure to 847.74 CDMA or 835.62 FDMA radiofrequency radiation.

No Effects Found

Whitehead TD, Moros EG, Brownstein BH, Roti Roti JL · 2006

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Cell phone radiation at 5 W/kg showed no gene expression changes in mouse cells, though this high-SAR study represents just one piece of the EMF research puzzle.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed mouse cells to cell phone radiation (CDMA and FDMA signals) for 24 hours at high power levels to see if it would change gene activity. They found no significant changes in gene expression from either type of cell phone radiation, even though X-ray radiation used as a control clearly altered gene activity. This suggests that these particular radiofrequency exposures did not trigger cellular stress responses at the genetic level.

Why This Matters

This study provides important baseline data on whether cell phone radiation can alter gene expression, a fundamental mechanism by which EMF exposure might cause biological harm. The researchers used a SAR level of 5 W/kg, which is significantly higher than typical cell phone exposures (around 1-2 W/kg maximum). The fact that no gene expression changes occurred even at these elevated levels is noteworthy. However, this represents just one study using one cell line over a 24-hour period. The science demonstrates that biological effects can vary dramatically based on exposure duration, frequency, modulation, and cell type. What this means for you is that while this particular study found no genetic effects, it doesn't close the book on EMF bioeffects. The reality is that gene expression is just one of many biological endpoints that researchers examine, and other studies have found cellular changes from RF radiation through different mechanisms.

Exposure Details

SAR
5 W/kg
Exposure Duration
24 hours

Exposure Context

This study used 5 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

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 Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 5 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 3 times the FCC limit

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Gene expression does not change significantly in C3H 10T(1/2) cells after exposure to 847.74 CDMA or 835.62 FDMA radiofrequency radiation.

In vitro experiments with C3H 10T(1/2) mouse cells were performed to determine whether Frequency Div...

The GeneChip data were analyzed using a two-tailed t test, and the expected number of false positive...

Thus the 24-h exposures to FDMA or CDMA RF radiation at 5 W/kg had no statistically significant effect on gene expression.

Cite This Study
Whitehead TD, Moros EG, Brownstein BH, Roti Roti JL (2006). Gene expression does not change significantly in C3H 10T(1/2) cells after exposure to 847.74 CDMA or 835.62 FDMA radiofrequency radiation. Radiat Res. 165(6):626-635, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{td_2006_gene_expression_does_not_3489,
  author = {Whitehead TD and Moros EG and Brownstein BH and Roti Roti JL},
  title = {Gene expression does not change significantly in C3H 10T(1/2) cells after exposure to 847.74 CDMA or 835.62 FDMA radiofrequency radiation.},
  year = {2006},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16802862/},
}
PubMed: 16802862

Cited By (37 papers)

View all 37 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

No, a 2006 study found that 24-hour exposure to CDMA (847.74 MHz) and FDMA (835.62 MHz) cell phone signals at 5 W/kg caused no statistically significant changes in gene expression in mouse cells. X-ray radiation clearly altered genes, but neither cell phone signal type triggered genetic responses.
Researchers used 5 watts per kilogram (W/kg) for 24 hours when testing CDMA and FDMA cell phone radiation effects on gene expression. This high power level still produced no significant genetic changes in C3H 10T1/2 mouse cells, unlike X-ray controls which clearly altered gene activity.
Cells were exposed to CDMA and FDMA radiofrequency radiation for 24 hours continuously in the 2006 Whitehead study. Despite this extended exposure duration at 5 W/kg power levels, researchers found no statistically significant changes in gene expression compared to control samples.
No, 847.74 MHz CDMA radiation at 5 W/kg for 24 hours did not trigger detectable cellular stress responses at the genetic level. The 2006 study found the number of gene expression changes was within expected false positive ranges, indicating no real biological response.
Researchers used C3H 10T1/2 mouse cells to test whether CDMA and FDMA radiofrequency radiation affects gene expression. These cells showed no significant genetic changes after 24-hour exposure to either signal type, while X-ray radiation clearly altered over 90 genes as expected.