6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.

EMF Research Studies

Browse 6,486 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from 4 research libraries.

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Showing 2,339 studies (Human Studies)

DNA & Genetic DamageNo Effects Found

DNA Damage in human leukocytes after acute in vitro exposure to a 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency field.

McNamee JP et al. · 2002

Blood cultures from human volunteers were exposed to an acute 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency (RF) field for 2 h using a series of six circularly polarized, cylindrical waveguides. Mean specific absorption rates (SARs) ranged from 0 to 10 W/kg and the temperature within the cultures during the exposure was maintained at 37.0 ± 0.5°C. DNA damage was quantified in leukocytes by the alkaline comet assay and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. No evidence of increased primary DNA damage was detected by the comet assay and no significant differences in micronucleus frequency were found at any SAR tested.

DNA & Genetic DamageNo Effects Found

DNA damage and micronucleus induction in human leukocytes after acute in vitro exposure to a 1.9 GHz continuous-wave radiofrequency field.

McNamee JP et al. · 2002

Human blood cultures were exposed to a 1.9 GHz continuous-wave radiofrequency field for 2 hours at SARs of 0.0, 0.1, 0.26, 0.92, 2.4, and 10 W/kg while temperature was maintained at 37.0 ± 0.5°C. DNA damage was measured immediately after exposure using the alkaline comet assay with four parameters, and micronucleus formation was assessed using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. No evidence of increased primary DNA damage was detected at any SAR tested. There was no significant difference in micronucleus incidence between exposed cultures and sham controls at any SAR.

Occupation and Risk of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Zheng T, Blair A, Zhang Y, Weisenburger DD, Zahm SH · 2002

Researchers analyzed data from two population-based case-control studies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma performed in Kansas and Nebraska. The analysis included 555 incident NHL cases, 56 CLL cases, and 2380 population-based controls. In men, agricultural, forestry, and logging industries were associated with an odds ratio of 1.6 for NHL and CLL. Risks increased with duration of employment and appeared to vary by histological type of NHL.

Effect of electromagnetic field produced by mobile phones on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) and the level of malonyldialdehyde (MDA)--in vitro study

Stopczyk D et al. · 2002

Researchers assessed the effect of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on SOD-1 activity and MDA level in human blood platelets exposed to 900 MHz for 1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes. SOD-1 activity was significantly depleted after 1, 5, and 7 minutes of exposure and increased after 3 minutes compared with controls. MDA concentration increased significantly after 1, 5, and 7 minutes and decreased after 3 minutes compared with controls. The authors concluded that oxidative stress from microwave exposure may cause adverse cellular changes and systemic disturbances.

Study of the health of people living in the vicinity of mobile phone base stations: I. Influence of distance and sex.

Santini R, Santini P, Danze JM, Le Ruz P, Seigne M. · 2002

Researchers conducted a questionnaire survey of 530 people, including 270 men and 260 women, living near or far from cellular phone base stations to assess 18 non-specific health symptoms. Complaint frequencies increased significantly (p < 0.05) for people living within 300 meters for tiredness, within 200 meters for headache, sleep disturbance, and discomfort, and within 100 meters for irritability, depression, loss of memory, dizziness, and libido decrease compared to those living beyond 300 meters or not exposed. Women reported headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, depression, discomfort, and visual perturbations significantly more often than men (p < 0.05).

Cellular Effects135 citations

Exposure to global system for mobile communication (GSM) cellular phone radiofrequency alters gene expression, proliferation, and morphology of human skin fibroblasts.

Pacini S et al. · 2002

Researchers exposed human skin fibroblasts to GSM cellular phone radiofrequency for 1 hour. GSM exposure induced alterations in cell morphology and increased expression of mitogenic signal transduction genes, cell growth inhibitors, and apoptosis-related genes. A significant increase in DNA synthesis and intracellular mitogenic second messenger formation corresponded with high expression of MAP kinase family genes.

Cancer & Tumors137 citations

Handheld cellular telephones and risk of acoustic neuroma

Muscat JE et al. · 2002

The hypothesis that intracranial energy deposition from handheld cellular telephones causes acoustic neuroma was tested in an epidemiologic study of 90 patients and 86 control subjects. The relative risk was 0.9 (p = 0.07) and did not vary significantly by the frequency, duration, and lifetime hours of use. In patients who used cellular telephones, the tumor occurred more often on the contralateral than ipsilateral side of the head. Further efforts should focus on potentially longer induction periods.

Cancer & Tumors151 citations

Adult and childhood leukemia near a high-power radio station in Rome, Italy.

Michelozzi P et al. · 2002

Researchers conducted an ecological study near the Vatican Radio station in Rome to evaluate leukemia mortality in adults and childhood leukemia incidence. The study area within 10 km had 49,656 residents, with 40 adult leukemia deaths (1987–1998) and eight childhood leukemia cases (1987–1999). Childhood leukemia risk was elevated within 6 km (standardized incidence rate 2.2, 95% CI 1.0–4.1). Risk declined significantly with distance for both male adult mortality (p=0.03) and childhood leukemia (p=0.036). The authors noted limitations including small case numbers and lack of exposure data, and stated no causal implication can be drawn.

Non-thermal activation of the hsp27/p38MAPK stress pathway by mobile phone radiation in human endothelial cells: Molecular mechanism for cancer- and blood-brain barrier-related effects.

Leszczynski D, Joenväärä S, Reivinen J, Kuokka R · 2002

Researchers exposed human endothelial EA.hy926 cells to 900 MHz GSM mobile phone radiation for 1-hour and observed changes in phosphorylation of many proteins. The exposure transiently increased phosphorylation of hsp27 and altered expression levels of hsp27 and p38MAPK, and this phosphorylation increase was prevented by a p38MAPK inhibitor. The culture temperature remained at 37 +/- 0.3 degrees C throughout the exposure, confirming non-thermal effects. The authors hypothesized that mobile phone radiation-induced activation of hsp27 may facilitate brain cancer by inhibiting the cytochrome c/caspase-3 apoptotic pathway and increase blood-brain barrier permeability by stabilizing endothelial cell stress fibers.

Symptoms & Sensitivity
Measurement survey

Electromagnetic interference of bone-anchored hearing aids by cellular phones revisited.

Kompis M, Hausler R. · 2002

Researchers surveyed six BAHA Compact users who used digital cellular phones to compare their experience with an earlier study of BAHA Classic 300 users. Four patients reported hearing no noise associated with digital cellular phone use. Two patients reported hearing quiet sounds only when they were on the telephone, not when others nearby used a digital cellular phone.

Neurological changes induced by a mobile phone.

Hocking B, Westerman R. · 2002

Researchers reported a case of a 34-year-old journalist who experienced symptoms linked to mobile phone use. She agreed to a provocation study with her phone. Current perception threshold testing before and after exposure showed marked changes in the C-fibre nerves of the affected area compared with the opposite side. The case is supportive of a neurological basis for some cases of dysaesthesiae associated with mobile phone use.

Exposure of the dorsal root ganglion in rats to pulsed radiofrequency currents activates dorsal horn lamina I and II neurons.

Higuchi Y et al. · 2002

Researchers performed a left-sided hemilaminectomy in adult Sprague-Dawley rats to expose the C6 dorsal root ganglion. Rats received pulsed radiofrequency, continuous radiofrequency, or sham treatment with the electrode on the ganglion for 120 seconds. Pulsed radiofrequency significantly increased cFOS-immunoreactive neurons in the superficial dorsal horn laminae three hours after treatment, while continuous radiofrequency did not. The authors concluded that pulsed radiofrequency activates pain-processing neurons in the dorsal horn without tissue heating.

Cancer & Tumors249 citations

cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours.

Hardell L et al. · 2002

Researchers conducted a case-control study of 1617 patients aged 20 to 80 with histopathologically verified brain tumours diagnosed between 1997 and 2000 in Sweden. Exposure to analogue cellular telephones was assessed by questionnaire and showed an overall increased odds ratio of 1.3 for brain tumours. The risk was higher for tumours on the same side of the head as phone use (OR 2.5) and for acoustic neurinoma (OR 3.5), while no clear association was found for digital or cordless phones.

Negligible electromagnetic interaction between medical electronic equipment and 2.4 GHz band wireless LAN.

Hanada E, Hoshino Y, Oyama H, Watanabe Y, Nose Y. · 2002

Researchers tested the effect of wireless LAN communication on medical electronic equipment and the effect of electronic equipment on wireless LAN communication. They observed nine pieces of electronic equipment in operating mode while transmitting radio waves from a wireless LAN. No equipment malfunction occurred even with the access point very close to the equipment surface during data transmission. Medical equipment caused little change in wireless communication effectiveness, but electric knives and a remote patient monitor reduced the reception rate to about 60%. Wireless LAN speed was temporarily reduced only when a microwave oven was close to and facing the access point.

Melanoma incidence and frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting.

Hallberg O, Johansson O. · 2002

Researchers extracted exposure-time-specific incidence from exposure and incidence data from 4 different countries and compared it with reported age-specific incidence of melanoma. The exposure-time-specific incidence from all 4 countries became almost identical and approximately equal to the reported age-specific incidence of melanoma. A correlation was found between melanoma incidence and the number of locally receivable FM transmitters.

Symptoms & Sensitivity
Measurement survey

Risk perception, somatization, and self report of complaints related to electromagnetic fields--a randomized survey study

Frick U, Rehm J, Eichhammer P. · 2002

A survey with random variation of three cognitive factors was performed to investigate risk perception, somatization, and self report of complaints related to electromagnetic fields. Age had no significant linear effect on EMF-related complaints. EMF-related complaints were reported more by females and people with higher somatization tendency.

The acute effects of exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human attention.

Edelstyn N, Oldershaw A. · 2002

Thirty-eight healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to an experimental group exposed to a 900 MHz mobile phone for 30 minutes or a control group with the phone switched off. Cognitive performance was assessed before exposure and at 15 and 30 minutes post-exposure using six neuropsychological tests. Significant differences appeared after 5 minutes on digit span forwards, spatial span backwards, and serial subtraction, with performance facilitated in the exposed group.

Acute mobile phone operation affects neural function in humans.

Croft R et al. · 2002

The study tested whether exposure to an active MP affects EEG as a function of time. MP exposure also altered early phase-locked neural responses, attenuating the normal response decrement over time in the 4-8 Hz band, decreasing the response in the 1230 Hz band globally and as a function of time, and increasing midline frontal and lateral posterior responses in the 30-45 Hz band.

Influence of a radiofrequency electromagnetic field on cardiovascular and hormonal parameters of the autonomic nervous system in healthy individuals.

Braune S, Riedel A, Schulte-Monting J, Raczek J. · 2002

The study investigated the hypothesis that exposure to EMFs can increase sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity. Forty healthy young males and females underwent a single-blind, placebo-controlled protocol on two different days with randomized EMF and placebo periods. The EMF exposure was a GSM-like signal at 900 MHz, pulsed with 217 Hz, 2 W, delivered by a mobile phone on the right side of the head. Blood pressure, heart rate, cutaneous capillary perfusion, and serum levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, cortisol, and endothelin were measured. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased about 5 mmHg during the protocol, but the changes were independent of EMF exposure.

Brain tumors and salivary gland cancers among cellular telephone users

Auvinen A, Hietanen M, Luukkonen R, Koskela R-S, · 2002

Researchers conducted a register-based case-control study on cellular phone use and cancer. The study included all cases of brain tumor (N = 398) and salivary gland cancer (N = 34) diagnosed in Finland in 1996, with five controls per case. Cellular phone use was not associated with brain tumors or salivary gland cancers overall. There was a weak association between gliomas and analog cellular phones.

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