Browse 8,700 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from 4 research libraries.
Showing 2,998 studies (Human Studies)
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers studied people living within 80 meters of cell phone towers and found significantly higher DNA damage in their blood cells compared to people living 300 meters away. The study also showed that those closer to towers had reduced antioxidant levels, suggesting their bodies were under greater oxidative stress from the radiofrequency radiation exposure.
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers analyzed sleep data from nearly 370,000 U.S. adolescents between 2009 and 2015, finding teens became 16-17% more likely to sleep less than 7 hours per night. The study linked this decline directly to increased screen time from electronic devices, social media, and online activities, while other potential causes like homework or TV watching remained stable.
Unknown authors · 2017
This pharmaceutical study tested eculizumab, a complement inhibitor drug, in 125 patients with severe myasthenia gravis (a neuromuscular disease). The primary endpoint showed no statistically significant improvement compared to placebo, though secondary analyses suggested potential benefits. The study highlights challenges in clinical trial design for rare neurological conditions.
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers studied how pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) help heal bone fractures by examining their effects on human bone marrow stem cells. They found that PEMFs activate specific molecular pathways, particularly involving microRNA 21 and TGF-β signaling, that transform stem cells into bone-building cells called osteoblasts. This research helps explain why PEMF therapy has been clinically successful in treating difficult-to-heal bone fractures.
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers exposed human tendon cells to low-frequency magnetic fields (2 Hz, 350 mT) for various time periods and found the fields activated genes involved in tendon healing and altered calcium levels inside cells. Different exposure schedules produced different effects, with some promoting beneficial tendon repair processes. This suggests magnetic field therapy could potentially help treat tendon injuries.
Unknown authors · 2017
Chinese researchers analyzed over 32,000 pregnant women in Beijing from 2000-2013 to identify risk factors for early miscarriage. They found that living within 100 meters of a cell tower was an independent risk factor for spontaneous abortion, along with illness during pregnancy, home renovation, pet ownership, and anxiety. The overall miscarriage rate was 3.0% in their study population.
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers analyzed childhood cancer data from 153 cancer registries across 62 countries from 2001-2010, tracking 385,509 cases in children under 20. The study found that childhood cancer rates increased 13% globally since the 1980s, rising from 124 to 140.6 cases per million children. This represents the largest international comparison of childhood cancer trends ever conducted.
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers tested blood samples from 40 people living within 80 meters of cell phone towers and found significantly more DNA damage and reduced antioxidant protection compared to people living 300 meters away. The closer residents showed higher levels of cellular stress markers that typically indicate biological harm from radiation exposure.
Unknown authors · 2017
Researchers followed 913 pregnant women and measured their magnetic field exposure throughout pregnancy. Women with higher magnetic field exposure had 2.72 times the risk of miscarriage compared to those with lower exposure. This finding held true regardless of where the magnetic fields came from.
Momoli F et al. · 2017
Canadian researchers re-analyzed data from the large Interphone study to see if mobile phone use increases brain tumor risk, using advanced statistical methods to correct for study biases. They found that people with the heaviest phone use (more than 558 lifetime hours) had roughly double the risk of developing glioma, the most common malignant brain tumor. Even after accounting for potential errors in how people remembered their phone use and who participated in the study, this increased risk remained significant.
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2017
Swiss researchers followed 439 adolescents for one year to see if radiofrequency radiation from mobile phones caused health symptoms like tiredness, headaches, or concentration problems. They found that symptoms were linked to heavy device usage patterns like texting frequency, but not to actual radiation exposure levels. This suggests that behavioral factors from excessive screen time, rather than the electromagnetic fields themselves, may be responsible for reported health complaints.
Schauer I, Mohamad Al-Ali B. · 2017
Researchers studied 468 men at an infertility clinic to see if carrying cell phones in pants pockets combined with varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum) would worsen sperm quality more than either condition alone. They found that both cell phone storage in pants pockets and varicocele individually affected sperm parameters, but the two factors didn't amplify each other's effects. This suggests that keeping your phone in your pants pocket affects sperm quality independently of other reproductive health issues.
Sato Y, Kojimahara N, Yamaguchi N · 2017
Japanese researchers analyzed mobile phone ownership among 82 young brain tumor patients (ages 6-18) and compared it to the general population. They found no difference in phone ownership rates between brain tumor patients and healthy children of the same age. The study suggests that mobile phone use was not associated with increased brain tumor risk in this young population.
Danese E et al. · 2017
Italian researchers exposed blood samples from 14 healthy volunteers to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation from a commercial mobile phone for 30 minutes, then examined the cells for DNA damage markers called gamma-H2AX foci. They found no significant increase in DNA breaks or genetic damage compared to unexposed blood samples. This suggests that short-term mobile phone radiation exposure at typical frequencies may not cause immediate detectable DNA damage in human immune cells.
Choi KH et al. · 2017
Researchers followed 1,198 mother-child pairs to examine whether mobile phone use during pregnancy affects children's brain development in their first three years. While they found no direct link between prenatal phone use and developmental delays, children whose mothers had both high lead exposure and heavy phone use showed increased risk of developmental problems. This suggests that RF radiation might amplify the harmful effects of other toxins during pregnancy.
Andrianome S et al. · 2017
French researchers studied whether people who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) have different nervous system responses compared to healthy controls, and whether exposure to common wireless signals affects their autonomic nervous system. They measured heart rate variability and skin conductance in 30 EHS individuals and 25 controls, then exposed 10 EHS participants to GSM, DECT, and Wi-Fi signals at environmental levels (1 V/m). The study found no significant differences in nervous system responses between EHS and control groups, and no measurable effects from the wireless exposures.
Zhang J, Sumich A, Wang GY. · 2017
Researchers reviewed recent brain imaging and brain wave studies to examine whether mobile phone radiation affects brain function. They found that phone radiation appears to increase brain activity and efficiency, particularly in areas near where you hold the phone, and this increased activity was linked to faster reaction times and sleep disruption. The findings suggest the scientific question of mobile phone effects on the brain should be reopened, though the researchers note that long-term effects remain largely unstudied.
Yilmaz A et al. · 2017
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to mobile phone radiation (900 MHz) for 20 days and examined their offspring's livers 60 days after birth. The exposed animals showed significant liver damage including increased oxidative stress, elevated liver enzymes indicating injury, and visible tissue damage under the microscope. This study demonstrates that EMF exposure during pregnancy can cause lasting liver problems in offspring that persist into adulthood.
Wang J, Su H, Xie W, Yu S. · 2017
Researchers analyzed seven studies involving thousands of people to determine whether mobile phone use increases headache risk. They found that mobile phone users were 38% more likely to experience headaches compared to non-users, with risk increasing dramatically based on daily call duration and frequency. The study shows a clear dose-response relationship: people making calls longer than 15 minutes daily had 2.5 times higher headache risk than those using phones less than 2 minutes daily.
Sato Y, Kojimahara N, Taki M, Yamaguchi N · 2017
Japanese researchers surveyed over 4,000 children and adults to understand which ear people prefer when using mobile phones. They found that children typically use their dominant hand's ear, while adults show more complex patterns - with older adults and heavy work users more likely to use their left ear. This matters because knowing which ear gets more radiation exposure helps researchers design better studies on mobile phone health effects.
Martens AL et al. · 2017
Dutch researchers tracked nearly 15,000 adults over three years to compare actual radiofrequency radiation exposure from cell towers (measured with precise modeling) versus people's perception of their exposure. They found that while actual exposure levels weren't linked to health symptoms, people who believed they were more exposed reported significantly more sleep problems and nonspecific symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
Lu X, Oda M, Ohba T, Mitsubuchi H, Masuda S, Katoh T. · 2017
Japanese researchers studied 461 pregnant women to examine whether heavy mobile phone use during pregnancy affects baby birth weight. They found that babies born to mothers who used mobile phones excessively during pregnancy had lower birth weights and required emergency medical transport more frequently than babies whose mothers used phones normally. This suggests that intense phone use during pregnancy may pose risks to developing babies.
Lee AK, Hong SE, Kwon JH, Choi HD, Cardis E. · 2017
Researchers analyzed how different types of mobile phones expose the brain to electromagnetic radiation by calculating specific absorption rates (SAR) for 11 phone models representing 86% of phones sold in Korea since 2002. They found that phone design, antenna type, and user age significantly affect how much radiation the brain absorbs, with variations depending on whether phones had internal or external antennas. This research helps us understand why some phones may pose greater exposure risks than others.
Kamali K et al. · 2017
Iranian researchers exposed human sperm samples to electromagnetic waves from a 3G+WiFi modem downloading data for 50 minutes and compared them to shielded samples. The exposed sperm showed significantly reduced motility (movement quality) and velocity, particularly affecting sperm that move poorly to begin with. This matters because declining sperm quality is already a major concern for male fertility worldwide.
Hardell L, Carlberg M. · 2017
Swedish researchers analyzed brain tumor rates from 1998-2015 using two national health databases and found a concerning pattern: brain tumor rates increased by 2.06% annually overall, with the steepest increase of 4.24% per year after 2007. The 20-39 age group showed the highest increases, coinciding with widespread mobile phone adoption, and the researchers discovered that many brain tumors are likely being underreported to cancer registries.