8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Oxidative Stress

Effects of 940 MHz EMF on bioluminescence and oxidative response of stable luciferase producing HEK cells.

Bioeffects Seen

Sefidbakht Y, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Hosseinkhani S, Khodagholi F, Torkzadeh-Mahani M, Foolad F, Faraji-Dana R. · 2014

View Original Abstract
Share:

Cells show protective responses to longer RF exposure but suffer oxidative stress during shorter exposures typical of daily phone use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed human kidney cells to 940 MHz radiation (cell phone frequency) for up to 60 minutes. Initial exposure caused cellular damage, but cells activated protective mechanisms after one hour, reducing stress markers. This suggests cells may adapt to radiation exposure over time.

Why This Matters

This study reveals something crucial about how our cells respond to cell phone radiation: the timing matters enormously. The researchers found that 30-45 minutes of exposure triggered significant oxidative stress, but longer exposure allowed cells to mount protective responses. What this means for you is that brief, repeated exposures throughout the day might be more problematic than single longer exposures, since cells don't get the chance to fully activate their protective mechanisms. The SAR level used (0.09 W/kg) is well below current safety limits, yet still produced measurable biological effects. This adds to the growing body of evidence that current safety standards, based solely on heating effects, may not adequately protect against the biological responses our cells are clearly having to RF radiation.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.09 W/kg
Source/Device
940 MHz
Exposure Duration
15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.09 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Severe Concern rangeFCC limit is 18x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 940 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 940 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The effects of mobile phone frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF, 940 MHz) on a stable cell line (HEK293T) harbouring the firefly luciferase gene were evaluated

A waveguide exposure system with 1 W input power provided the mean specific absorption rate of ≈0.09...

Endogenous luciferase activity was reduced after 30 and 45 min of continuous exposure, while after 6...

Therefore, it appears that an increase in the activity of luciferase after 60 min of continuous exposure could be associated with a decrease in ROS level caused by activation of the oxidative response. This ability in cells to overcome oxidative stress and compensate the luciferase activity could also be responsible for the adaptive response mechanism detected in ionizing radiation studies with RF-EMF pre-treatments.

Cite This Study
Sefidbakht Y, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Hosseinkhani S, Khodagholi F, Torkzadeh-Mahani M, Foolad F, Faraji-Dana R. (2014). Effects of 940 MHz EMF on bioluminescence and oxidative response of stable luciferase producing HEK cells. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2014 Jul;13(7):1082-92. doi: 10.1039/c3pp50451d. Epub 2014 Jun 2. PMID: 24886806.
Show BibTeX
@article{y_2014_effects_of_940_mhz_567,
  author = {Sefidbakht Y and Moosavi-Movahedi AA and Hosseinkhani S and Khodagholi F and Torkzadeh-Mahani M and Foolad F and Faraji-Dana R.},
  title = {Effects of 940 MHz EMF on bioluminescence and oxidative response of stable luciferase producing HEK cells.},
  year = {2014},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24886806/},
}
PubMed: 24886806

Cited By (39 papers)

View all 39 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Initial exposure to 940 MHz radiation damaged human kidney cells within 30-45 minutes, causing increased oxidative stress. However, cells activated protective mechanisms after one hour, suggesting they can adapt to this specific frequency over time.
Human kidney cells showed adaptation to 940 MHz radiation after 60 minutes of continuous exposure. The cells initially experienced damage but then activated antioxidant defenses, reducing stress markers and restoring normal function.
Catalase and superoxide dismutase activity sharply increased after 45 minutes of 940 MHz exposure, while glutathione levels also rose. These antioxidant enzymes helped cells overcome the initial oxidative stress from the radiation.
Yes, HEK kidney cells demonstrated recovery from 940 MHz EMF damage. While luciferase activity decreased in the first 45 minutes, it increased above control levels after 60 minutes of continuous exposure.
Lipid peroxidation (cell membrane damage) significantly decreased in human kidney cells after 45-60 minutes of 940 MHz exposure. This suggests the cells' antioxidant defenses successfully protected against membrane damage over time.