Nonthermal effects of radiofrequency-field exposure on calcium dynamics in stem cell-derived neuronal cells: elucidation of calcium pathways.
Rao VS, Titushkin IA, Moros EG, Pickard WF, Thatte HS, Cho MR · 2008
View Original AbstractBrain cells exposed to cell phone-level RF radiation showed three times more calcium activity, disrupting the cellular communication essential for normal brain function.
Plain English Summary
Mouse brain cells exposed to cell phone-like radiofrequency radiation showed dramatically altered calcium signaling, with three times more calcium spikes than unexposed cells. This matters because calcium controls critical brain cell functions including growth, development, and communication between neurons.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a fundamental mechanism by which RF radiation affects brain cells at the molecular level, even at exposure levels that don't cause heating. The finding that calcium dynamics increased threefold at just 0.5 W/kg - well below current safety limits - demonstrates that nonthermal biological effects occur at everyday exposure levels from wireless devices. What makes this research particularly significant is that calcium signaling is essential for virtually every aspect of brain cell function, from development to communication. The researchers identified specific cellular pathways involved, providing biological plausibility for neurological effects reported in epidemiological studies. The fact that the effect was frequency-dependent rather than power-dependent also challenges the current regulatory approach that focuses solely on heating effects.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.5 to 5 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 700 to 1100 MHz and 800 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 60 min
Exposure Context
This study used 0.5 to 5 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 1.3x 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 examine nonthermal effects of radiofrequency-field exposure on calcium dynamics in stem cell-derived neuronal cells: elucidation of calcium pathways
Intracellular Ca(2+) spikes trigger cell proliferation, differentiation and cytoskeletal reorganizat...
Show BibTeX
@article{vs_2008_nonthermal_effects_of_radiofrequencyfield_1288,
author = {Rao VS and Titushkin IA and Moros EG and Pickard WF and Thatte HS and Cho MR},
title = {Nonthermal effects of radiofrequency-field exposure on calcium dynamics in stem cell-derived neuronal cells: elucidation of calcium pathways.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18302487/},
}