Browse 6,486 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from 4 research libraries.
Showing 2,561 studies from BioInitiative Report
Fu Y, Wang C, Wang J, Lei Y, Ma Y · 2008
Researchers exposed mice to 25 or 50 Hz electromagnetic fields for either 7 days or 25 days and then tested them in the Y-maze. Long-term exposure to 50 Hz fields reduced recognition of the novel arm. Neither short- nor long-term exposure to magnetic fields affected the locomotor activity of mice in the Y-maze.
Falone S et al. · 2008
Researchers continuously exposed female Sprague-Dawley rats to a sinusoidal 50 Hz, 0.1 mT magnetic field for 10 days. The study examined antioxidant protection systems and neurotrophic support in brain cortices, as a function of the age of the subjects. Exposure significantly affected antioxidant capability in both young and aged animals, but in opposite ways. The researchers suggested that exposure to these fields may act as a risk factor for oxidative stress-based nervous system pathologies associated with ageing.
Ahmed Z, Wieraszko A. · 2008
Researchers investigated the influence of a pulsed magnetic field on hippocampal evoked potentials in vitro. Exposure to a pulsed magnetic field at 0.16 Hz and 15 mT, applied for 30 minutes, amplified the population spike and the slope of EPSP recorded from hippocampal tissue. The amplification was additive to previously induced long-term potentiation and occurred in an NMDA-independent way. The pulsed magnetic field also modified paired-pulse facilitation and paired-pulse inhibition, suggesting it affects both excitatory and inhibitory processes in the hippocampus.
Yan JG, Agresti M, Zhang LL, Yan Y, Matloub HS. · 2008
Researchers exposed adult Sprague-Dawley rats to cell phones for 6 hours per day for 126 days and measured mRNA levels of several injury-associated proteins in the brain. The proteins evaluated included Calcium ATPase, Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule, Neural Growth Factor, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. The results showed statistically significant mRNA up-regulation of these proteins in the brains of exposed rats.
Sokolovic D et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed Wistar rats to microwave radiation from a mobile test phone for 20, 40, and 60 days to evaluate oxidative stress in brain tissue and whether melatonin could reduce it. Exposure led to a significant increase in malondialdehyde and carbonyl group concentrations in brain tissue, along with decreased catalase activity and increased xanthine oxidase activity. Melatonin treatment significantly prevented the rise in MDA content and xanthine oxidase activity after 40 days of exposure, but was unable to prevent the decrease in catalase activity or the increase in carbonyl group content.
Odaci E, Bas O, Kaplan S · 2008
Researchers investigated the effects of prenatal EMF exposure on the number of granule cells in the dentate gyrus of 4-week-old rats. Pregnant rats in the exposed group were subjected to a 900 MHz EMF for 60 min/day between the first and last days of gestation. The results showed that prenatal EMF exposure caused a decrease in the number of granule cells in the dentate gyrus (P < 0.01).
Nittby H et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed rats to GSM-900 mobile phone radiation for 2 hours each week for 55 weeks at SAR levels of 0.6 and 60 mW/kg, then compared them to sham-exposed controls. GSM-exposed rats had impaired memory for objects and their temporal order of presentation compared to sham-exposed controls (P = 0.02). Detecting the place in which an object was presented was not affected by GSM exposure, and no difference in exploratory behaviour was seen in the open-field test.
Mathur R. · 2008
Researchers exposed growing rats to a radiofrequency field (73.5 MHz amplitude modulated, 16 Hz, SAR = 0.4 w/kg) for 45 days at 2 hours per day and recorded their responses to several types of noxious stimuli. The tonic pain rating was also decreased (p < 0.01), which the researchers said indicates analgesia in response to tonic pain. The data suggest that amplitude modulated RF field differentially affects the mechanisms involved in the processing of various noxious stimuli.
Lee KS, Choi JS, Hong SY, Son TH, Yu K. · 2008
Researchers studied biological effects of mobile phone 835 MHz electromagnetic fields in Drosophila at SAR 1.6 W/kg and SAR 4.0 W/kg. At SAR 1.6 W/kg, more than 90% of flies remained viable even after the 30 h exposure, while at SAR 4.0 W/kg viability dropped from the 12 h exposure. Both exposure levels triggered a stress response, increased reactive oxygen species production, and activated ERK and JNK signaling, but not p38 kinase signaling. SAR 4.0 W/kg strongly activated JNK signaling, expression of apoptotic genes, and amplified the number of apoptotic cells in the fly brain.
Joubert, V., Bourthoumieu, S., Leveque, P. and Yardin, C. · 2008
Researchers exposed rat primary neuronal cultures to a continuous-wave 900 MHz radiofrequency field at a specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 24 hours. A statistically significant difference in the rate of apoptosis was found in the RF-field-exposed neurons compared to the sham-, 37°C- and 39°C-exposed neurons either 0 or 24 h after exposure using both methods. The percentage of AIF-positive nuclei in RF-field-exposed neurons was increased by three- to sevenfold compared to other conditions, while no increase in caspase 3 activity was found.
Eberhardt JL, Persson BR, Brun AE, Salford LG, Malmgren LO · 2008
Researchers exposed rats to GSM microwave signals in the 900 MHz band and measured blood-brain barrier permeability and signs of neuronal damage after recovery periods of 14 or 28 days. Non-anaesthetized rats were sham exposed or exposed to microwaves for 2 hours at whole-body specific absorption rates of 0.12, 1.2, 12, or 120 mW/kg. Albumin leakage and its uptake into neurons was enhanced after 14 days but not after the 28-day recovery period, while the occurrence of dark neurons was enhanced after 28 days.
Croft RJ et al. · 2008
Researchers tested 120 healthy participants in a double-blind, counterbalanced crossover design, with each person receiving a 30-minute active and a 30-minute sham exposure one week apart while EEG data were recorded. The purpose of the study was to test one of the strongest findings in the literature, that of increased alpha power in response to MP-type radiation. Overall alpha power was enhanced during exposure, with the effect larger at sites on the same side as the exposure source than on the opposite side over posterior regions. After exposure ended, no overall change to alpha power was observed, though there was less alpha power contralateral to the exposure source relative to the ipsilateral side.
Ammari M, Lecomte A, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H, de-Seze R · 2008
Researchers measured cytochrome oxidase levels in rat brains using histochemical methods to evaluate regional brain metabolic activity after GSM 900 MHz signal exposure. Rats were exposed either for 45 minutes per day at a SAR of 1.5 W/Kg or for 15 minutes per day at a SAR of 6 W/Kg, over seven days. At 6 W/Kg, decreased CO activity was found in areas of the prefrontal and frontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the posterior cortex, while exposure at 1.5 W/Kg did not affect brain activity.
Ammari M et al. · 2008
Researchers measured GFAP expression in rat brain areas using immunocytochemistry to evaluate glial changes 10 days after chronic exposure to a GSM 900 MHz signal. Rats were exposed 5 days a week for 24 weeks at a brain-averaged SAR of 1.5 W/kg for 45 minutes per day, or at 6 W/kg for 15 minutes per day. Compared with sham or cage control animals, rats exposed at 6 W/kg had increased GFAP stained surface areas (p < 0.05), while exposure at 1.5 W/kg did not increase GFAP expression. The researchers noted that chronic exposure at 6 W/kg may induce persistent astroglia activation in the rat brain, which they described as a sign of a potential gliosis.
Zhang SZ, Yao GD, Lu DQ, Chiang H, Xu ZP. · 2008
Researchers exposed primary cultured rat neurons to 1.8 GHz RF EMF at a SAR of 2 W/kg and used a gene array to look for changes in gene expression. Among 1200 candidate genes screened, 24 were up-regulated and 10 were down-regulated, associated with functions including cytoskeleton, signal transduction, and metabolism. The effect of 24-hour exposure on gene expression was more obvious than that of 6-hour exposure, and intermittent exposure had a more obvious effect than continuous exposure.
Yao K, Wu W, Wang K, Ni S, Ye P, Yu Y, Ye J, Sun L. · 2008
Researchers exposed cultured human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) to a 1.8 GHz GSM radiofrequency field for 2 hours at specific absorption rates of 1, 2, 3, and 4 W/kg, then measured intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage. After exposure to 1.8 GHz RF for 2 h, HLECs exhibited significant intracellular ROS increase in the 2, 3, and 4 W/kg groups, and RF at 3 W/kg and 4 W/kg induced significant DNA damage consisting mainly of single strand breaks. When the radiofrequency field was superposed with 2 μT electromagnetic noise, the noise blocked the RF-induced ROS increase and DNA damage.
Wu W, Yao K, Wang KJ, Lu DQ, He JL, Xu LH, Sun WJ. · 2008
Researchers used the DCFH-DA method and comet assay to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage in cultured human lens epithelial cells exposed to 4 W/kg 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation or 2 muT electromagnetic noise, or both, for 24 hours intermittently. 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation at 4 W/kg for 24 hours significantly increased intracellular ROS and DNA damage (P<0.05). When electromagnetic noise was added alongside the mobile phone radiation, ROS levels and DNA damage were not significantly elevated compared to sham exposure (P>0.05).
Schwarz C et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed human cultured fibroblasts and human lymphocyte cultures to 1,950 MHz UMTS electromagnetic fields at specific absorption rates below the safety limit of 2 W/kg. UMTS exposure increased the comet tail factor and induced centromere-negative micronuclei in human cultured fibroblasts in a dose- and time-dependent way. Incubation for 24 hours at a SAR of 0.05 W/kg produced a statistically significant rise in both the comet tail factor and micronuclei (P = 0.02). No UMTS effect was found in lymphocytes, whether unstimulated or stimulated with Phytohemagglutinin. The researchers concluded that UMTS exposure may cause genetic alterations in some but not in all human cells in vitro.
Nittby H et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed Fischer 344 rats to radiation from a GSM mobile test phone at 1,800 MHz for 6 hours and then analyzed gene expression in the cortex and hippocampus. Four rats were exposed in an anechoic chamber one at a time, and four control rats were kept in the same chamber for the same duration without exposure. Gene ontology analysis found highly significant changes in gene categories related to membrane functions in both brain regions.
Mazor R et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed human peripheral blood lymphocytes from 10 samples to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields at 800 MHz for 72 hours in a waveguide resonator at specific absorption rates of 2.9 and 4.1 W/kg. The study found increased levels of aneuploidy depending on the chromosome studied and the level of exposure, with chromosomal gains appearing to be the primary contributor. Temperature was tested over a range of 33.5–40°C for 72 hours and showed no statistically significant difference in aneuploidy levels compared to 37°C, suggesting the effect may not be due to heating.
Manti L et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro to a UMTS signal at a frequency carrier of 1.95 GHz for 24 hours at 0.5 and 2.0 W/kg SAR. Cells were also given 4 Gy of X rays immediately before RF radiation or sham exposures, and chromosome aberrations were measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization. No significant variations due to the UMTS exposure were found in the fraction of aberrant cells, but the frequency of exchanges per cell showed a small but statistically significant increase of 0.11 exchange per cell compared to 0 W/kg SAR.
Straume A, Johnsson A, Oftedal G, Wilén J · 2007
Norwegian researchers compared two methods for measuring electromagnetic field exposure from mobile phones and household appliances like hair dryers and electric drills. They found that using battery current measurements (a common shortcut in research) can overestimate phone exposures by up to 220% or underestimate appliance exposures by up to 230% compared to direct magnetic field measurements. This means many EMF exposure studies may have inaccurate data, highlighting the need for more precise measurement techniques.
Sommer AM, Bitz AK, Streckert J, Hansen VW, Lerchl A · 2007
German researchers exposed 320 mice to 3G (UMTS) cell phone signals 24 hours a day for their entire lives to see if the radiation would increase lymphoma rates. The mice were genetically predisposed to develop this blood cancer, making them ideal test subjects. After monitoring the animals for 43 weeks, researchers found no difference in cancer rates, survival times, or disease severity between exposed and unexposed groups.
Smith P, Kuster N, Ebert S, Chevalier HJ · 2007
Researchers exposed 1,170 rats to cell phone radiation (GSM and DCS signals) for 2 hours daily, 5 days a week for up to 2 years to test whether this exposure causes cancer. They found no increase in tumors or cancer rates compared to unexposed control rats, even at the highest radiation levels tested. This large, long-term study suggests that chronic exposure to these specific wireless signals at the tested levels does not increase cancer risk in rats.
Shirai T et al. · 2007
Researchers exposed young rats to cell phone-like radiation (1.95 GHz W-CDMA signals) for 2 years to see if it would promote brain tumor development in animals already given a cancer-causing chemical. The study found no significant increase in brain tumors from the radiation exposure at levels of 0.67 and 2.0 W/kg SAR. This suggests that chronic exposure to this type of cell phone radiation does not accelerate brain tumor formation in this animal model.