Browse 3,138 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from the BioInitiative Report database.
Showing 1,359 studies (Human Studies)
Hutter HP et al. · 2010
Austrian researchers studied 100 tinnitus patients and compared their mobile phone use to matched controls without tinnitus. They found that people who used mobile phones for 4 years or longer had nearly double the risk of developing tinnitus (a 95% increased risk). This suggests prolonged mobile phone exposure may contribute to the persistent ringing or buzzing sounds that affect millions of people worldwide.
Heinrich S, Thomas S, Heumann C, von Kries R, Radon K. · 2010
German researchers used personal dosimeters to measure radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in nearly 3,000 children and adolescents over 24 hours, then tracked acute symptoms like headaches and concentration problems. They found a few statistically significant associations between higher RF exposure and symptoms, but these results were inconsistent and disappeared when analyzing the highest-exposed participants. The researchers concluded the observed effects likely occurred by chance rather than representing true causal relationships.
Hardell L, Söderqvist F, Carlberg M, Zetterberg H, Mild KH. · 2010
Researchers measured beta-trace protein, a key enzyme that produces the brain's natural sleep hormone, in 62 young adults who used wireless phones. They found that people who had used wireless phones longer had lower levels of this sleep-promoting protein in their blood. This provides a potential biological explanation for why some people experience sleep problems when exposed to cell phone radiation.
Hardell L, Carlberg M, Hansson Mild K. · 2010
Swedish researchers studied 346 people who died from malignant brain tumors and found those who used mobile phones for more than 10 years had 2.4 times higher risk of developing these deadly brain cancers. The risk climbed even higher for people with over 2,000 hours of lifetime mobile phone use, reaching 3.4 times normal risk. This study is particularly significant because it examined deceased cases, eliminating the possibility that living brain tumor patients might wrongly blame their phones for their illness.
Goldwein O, Aframian DJ. · 2010
Israeli researchers studied 50 healthy volunteers who regularly used mobile phones on one side of their head, measuring saliva production from their parotid glands (the large salivary glands near your ears). They found that the parotid gland on the phone-using side produced significantly more saliva but with lower protein content compared to the non-phone side. The authors concluded this indicates the glands are responding to continuous stress from radiofrequency radiation exposure.
Danker-Hopfe H, Dorn H, Bornkessel C, Sauter C. · 2010
German researchers exposed 397 residents to real and fake cell tower signals (900 MHz and 1,800 MHz) over 12 nights to test whether the electromagnetic fields affect sleep quality. They found no measurable differences in sleep patterns between real and fake exposure nights, but people who worried about health risks from cell towers had worse sleep even during fake exposure nights.
Croft RJ et al. · 2010
Researchers exposed 103 people across three age groups (teens, young adults, and elderly) to 2G and 3G cell phone signals while measuring their brain waves. They found that only young adults (ages 19-40) showed changes in their alpha brain waves when exposed to 2G signals, while teenagers and elderly participants showed no effects from either 2G or 3G exposure. This suggests that brain sensitivity to cell phone radiation varies significantly by age.
Crespo-Valero P et al. · 2010
Researchers developed a new computer modeling method to precisely map how electromagnetic fields from sources like cell phones are absorbed in specific brain regions. Using detailed brain anatomy maps, they can now track exactly which parts of the brain receive the highest radiation exposure. This breakthrough allows scientists to better understand which brain areas are most affected during phone use and improve safety testing for wireless devices.
Cooke R, Laing S, Swerdlow AJ. · 2010
Researchers studied 806 leukemia patients and 585 healthy controls in England to examine whether mobile phone use increases leukemia risk. They found no overall increased risk of leukemia among regular mobile phone users, though people who first used phones 15 or more years ago showed a nearly doubled risk that wasn't quite statistically significant. This suggests mobile phones don't cause leukemia in most users, but very long-term effects remain uncertain.
Behrens T et al. · 2010
European researchers studied 293 people with uveal melanoma (a rare eye cancer) and 3,198 controls to examine whether workplace electromagnetic field exposure increases cancer risk. They found that women exposed to high-voltage electrical installations had nearly 6 times higher risk of developing this eye cancer, with the strongest effects seen in women with dark eyes. The study suggests that certain occupational EMF exposures may significantly increase eye cancer risk, particularly for women in electrical work environments.
Bak M, Dudarewicz A, Zmyślony M, Sliwinska-Kowalska M. · 2010
Polish researchers measured brain waves in 15 volunteers while they were exposed to GSM cell phone radiation. They found that a specific brain wave called P300, which reflects cognitive processing, showed reduced amplitude (strength) during EMF exposure but returned to normal when the exposure stopped. This suggests that cell phone radiation can temporarily alter brain function during active use.
Angelone LM, Bit-Babik G, Chou CK. · 2010
Researchers used computer modeling to study how EEG electrodes and wires on the head change the way cell phone radiation is absorbed by the brain. They found that while overall radiation absorption stayed roughly the same, the metal electrodes created hotspots where local tissue absorbed 40 times more radiation in the brain and 100 times more in the skin. This means studies that measure brain activity during cell phone exposure might be seeing effects from these concentrated radiation hotspots rather than the phone's normal radiation pattern.
Aksu R et al. · 2010
Researchers applied pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) energy to nerve roots in rabbits with induced nerve pain to test whether this treatment could reduce pain sensitivity. They found that 8 minutes of PRF treatment at 42°C significantly reduced the heightened pain responses that developed after nerve injury, with benefits lasting several weeks. This suggests that controlled radiofrequency exposure may have therapeutic applications for treating chronic nerve pain conditions.
Lakshmi NK, Tiwari R, Bhargava SC, Ahuja YR. · 2010
Researchers examined DNA damage in 138 software professionals who used computer screens for more than 2 years, comparing them to 151 matched controls. While overall results showed no significant differences between groups, workers who used computers for more than 10 years showed increased DNA damage and cellular abnormalities called micronuclei. This suggests that long-term occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields from video display terminals may cause genetic damage that accumulates over time.
Franzellitti S et al. · 2010
Researchers exposed human placental cells to 1.8 GHz cell phone signals for up to 24 hours and found that modulated signals (like those used in GSM phones) caused DNA damage, while unmodulated signals did not. The DNA damage was temporary, with cells recovering within 2 hours after exposure ended. This suggests that the specific way cell phone signals are modulated may be more important for biological effects than just the frequency itself.
Carrubba S, Frilot C 2nd, Chesson AL Jr, Marino AA. · 2010
Researchers tested whether cell phone signals can trigger measurable brain responses by exposing 20 volunteers to the low-frequency pulse pattern (217 Hz) that cell phones emit. They found that 90% of participants showed detectable brain activity changes (called evoked potentials) in response to these pulses, suggesting the brain can sense and respond to cell phone signals even when people aren't consciously aware of it.
Patruno A et al. · 2010
Researchers exposed human skin cells (keratinocytes) to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields to study potential wound healing effects. They found that EMF exposure increased production of nitric oxide and cell growth while reducing inflammatory markers. These cellular changes suggest ELF-EMF could potentially accelerate wound healing by promoting beneficial processes while reducing harmful inflammation.
Volkow ND et al. · 2010
Researchers exposed 15 healthy people to magnetic fields inside MRI machines and measured brain activity using glucose metabolism scans. They found that stronger magnetic field exposure caused measurable decreases in brain activity in specific regions, with the strongest fields producing the largest reductions. This demonstrates that magnetic fields can directly alter how the brain functions, even without people feeling any immediate effects.
Vecchio F et al. · 2010
Researchers exposed 16 elderly and 5 young adults to GSM mobile phone emissions for 45 minutes while measuring their brain waves with EEG. They found that elderly subjects showed significantly increased synchronization between brain hemispheres in the alpha frequency range (8-12 Hz) during phone exposure, while young subjects showed less pronounced effects. This suggests that aging brains may be more susceptible to electromagnetic field interference from mobile phones.
Panda NK, Jain R, Bakshi J, Munjal S. · 2010
Researchers compared hearing tests in 112 long-term mobile phone users versus 50 non-users. While overall differences weren't significant, phone users showed more high-frequency hearing loss and inner ear damage that worsened with longer use, suggesting phones may gradually harm hearing.
Hardell L, Söderqvist F, Carlberg M, Zetterberg H, Mild KH · 2010
Researchers measured β-trace protein (a brain-produced protein that helps regulate sleep) in 62 young adults and found that people who used wireless phones longer had lower levels of this protein in their blood. When participants were exposed to cell phone radiation for 30 minutes in a lab setting, their β-trace protein didn't change significantly, but unexposed participants showed increased levels over the same time period.
Vorobyov V, Janać B, Pesić V, Prolić Z. · 2010
Researchers monitored brain activity in rats exposed to low-level microwave radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for 10 minutes daily over five days. They found that repeated exposures disrupted the normal communication patterns between two key brain regions - the cortex (responsible for thinking) and hypothalamus (which controls hormones and basic body functions). The effects got stronger with each day of exposure, suggesting the brain changes accumulate over time.
Panagopoulos DJ, Chavdoula ED, Margaritis LH · 2010
Greek researchers exposed fruit flies to GSM cell phone radiation at various distances and measured effects on reproductive health and cell death. They found that cell phone radiation damaged reproductive capacity at all distances tested, with the strongest effects occurring at 20-30 cm from the antenna (typical phone-to-body distance). The biological effects were still detectable at radiation levels as low as 1 microW/cm², which is far below current safety standards.
Ozgur E, Güler G, Seyhan N · 2010
Guinea pigs exposed to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 10-20 minutes daily showed liver damage from oxidative stress, with longer exposure causing more harm. However, antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine and green tea extract provided significant protection against this cellular damage.
Kim BC, Park SO. · 2010
Korean researchers measured radiofrequency radiation levels from cell phone towers at 50 locations where the public had expressed health concerns. They found the highest exposure level was 1.5 volts per meter, which represents just 0.15% of international safety guidelines. The study suggests that actual exposure levels from cell towers are far below regulatory limits, even at locations where people were worried about potential health effects.