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 72 studies (Insects & Invertebrates)

Whole Body / GeneralNo Effects Found

Response of Caenorhabditis elegans to wireless devices radiation exposure

Fasseas MK et al. · 2014

Researchers exposed synchronized populations of C. elegans at different developmental stages to radiation from GSM mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, and DECT phones at electric field levels below ICNIRP guidelines. They examined wild-type and aging- or stress-sensitive mutant worms for changes in growth, fertility, lifespan, chemotaxis, short-term memory, ROS production, and apoptosis using fluorescent markers and qRT-PCR. No statistically significant differences were found between exposed and control animals in any of the measured outcomes.

Comparisons of Responses by Planarian to Micromolar to Attomolar Dosages of Morphine or Naloxone and/or Weak Pulsed Magnetic Fields: Revealing Receptor Subtype Affinities and Nonspecific Effects.

Murugan NJ, Persinger MA. · 2014

Exposure to the patterned magnetic field reduced planarian activity by about 50%, a magnitude similar to the non-specific effects of morphine and naloxone across most dosages. A specific dosage of 100 nM produced an additional marked reduction in activity for planaria exposed to either morphine or naloxone, while only 1 pM of morphine produced this effect.

Pharmacological analysis of response latency in the hot plate test following whole-body static magnetic field-exposure in the snail Helix pomatia

Hernádi L, László JF. · 2014

Researchers studied how a single, 30-minute, whole-body static magnetic field exposure at 147±3 mT affected pain response latency in the snail Helix pomatia, using the hot plate test. Compared to sham-exposure, the static magnetic field caused significant differences in response latency of up to 47.1% (p < 0.001). The study concluded that static magnetic field exposure mediates peripheral thermal nociceptive threshold by affecting the serotonin as well as the opioid system.

Extremely low frequency magnetic field (50 Hz, 0.5 mT) modifies fitness components and locomotor activity of Drosophila subobscura.

Dimitrijević D, Savić T, Anđelković M, Prolić Z, Janać B. · 2014

Researchers exposed Drosophila subobscura at different developmental stages to an extremely low frequency magnetic field (50 Hz, 0.5 mT) for 48 hours. The magnetic field shortened developmental time and increased viability, while sex ratio was unaffected. Regardless of which developmental stage was exposed, the magnetic field significantly decreased locomotor activity in adult flies. When just-eclosed adults were exposed, the observed reduction in locomotor activity lasted longer than in other exposure groups.

Effect of short-term GSM radiation at representative levels in society on a biological model: the ant Myrmica sabuleti

Cammaerts M-C, Vandenbosch GAE, Volski V · 2014

Researchers exposed two nests of the ant Myrmica sabuleti to GSM radiation at 1.5 V/m, the legally allowed level in Brussels, for 10 minutes before observing their behavior. After exposure, the ants' locomotion slightly changed, their orientation toward their alarm pheromone became of lower quality, and their trail following behavior was less efficient.

ELF alternating magnetic field decreases reproduction by DNA damage induction

Unknown authors · 2013

Researchers exposed newly eclosed Drosophila melanogaster to a 50-Hz alternating magnetic field at 1, 11, and 21 G continuously for the first 5 days of adult life. The magnetic field decreased reproductive capacity by up to 4.3%, with the effect increasing at higher field intensities. The decline in reproductive capacity was attributed to severe DNA fragmentation and cell death in reproductive cells, detected by TUNEL assay during early and mid-oogenesis. The increase in DNA damage was more significant than the corresponding decrease in reproductive capacity (up to ~7.5%).

Gene expression and reproductive abilities of male Drosophila melanogaster subjected to ELF-EMF exposure.

Li SS, Zhang ZY, Yang CJ, Lian HY, Cai P · 2013

Researchers studied the effects of short-term and long-term ELF-EMF exposure on male Drosophila melanogaster using transcriptomic analysis and QRT-PCR. Transcriptomic analysis showed that short-term exposure up-regulated 439 genes and down-regulated 874 genes, while long-term exposure up-regulated 514 genes and down-regulated 1206 genes. Short-term exposure may decrease male reproductive ability, but long-term exposure had no effect. QRT-PCR confirmed that jra, ark, and decay genes were down-regulated after exposure for one generation and 72 hours, suggesting apoptosis may be inhibited.

Food collection and response to pheromones in an ant species exposed to electromagnetic radiation

Cammaerts MC, Rachidi Z, Bellens F, De Doncker P · 2013

Researchers used the ant species Myrmica sabuleti to study how electromagnetic waves affect the insects' responses to pheromones and food collection. Workers' responses to trail, area-marking, and alarm pheromones were measured under normal conditions and then again while under the influence of electromagnetic waves. Under exposure, ants followed trails for only short distances, no longer arrived at marked areas, and no longer orientated themselves to a source of alarm pheromone. The number of ants collecting food increased only slightly and slowly, and after 180 hours of exposure their colonies deteriorated.

Effect of 60 minutes exposure to electromagnetic field on fecundity, learning and memory, speed of movement and whole body protein of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

El Kholy SE, El Husseiny EM. · 2012

Researchers exposed fruit flies to electromagnetic fields from four electrical devices and measured fecundity, learning, memory, movement speed, and whole-body proteins. Adult fecundity showed no significant change, while larval learning and memory were altered, particularly after mobile phone exposure.

Analgetic effects of non-thermal GSM-1900 radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in the land snail Helix pomatia.

Nittby H et al. · 2012

Researchers exposed 29 land snails of the strain Helix pomatia to GSM electromagnetic fields at 1900 MHz at 48 mW/kg for 1 hour each, while 29 snails served as sham controls. Before and after exposure, snails were placed on a hot plate and the time until they retracted was measured by two blinded observers. GSM-exposed snails were less sensitive to thermal pain compared to sham controls, indicating a significant analgesia (Mann-Whitney p < 0.001).

Radio frequency magnetic fields disrupt magnetoreception in American cockroach.

Vácha M, Puzová T, Kvícalová M · 2009

Researchers tested how weak radio frequency magnetic fields affect the American cockroach's ability to sense the geomagnetic field. A 1.2 MHz field disrupted this sense at intensities between 12 nT and 18 nT, while a 2.4 MHz field required between 18 nT and 44 nT. A 7 MHz field had no effect even at the highest tested intensity of 44 nT. The disruptive effect was strongest at the Larmor frequency of 1.2 MHz. The researchers measured the rise in locomotor activity induced by periodic changes in the geomagnetic North position by 60 degrees.

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields activate the ERK cascade, increase hsp70 protein levels and promote regeneration in Planaria

Reba Goodman et al. · 2009

Researchers used regenerating planaria Dugesia dorotocethala as a model to determine whether an intermittent modulated extremely low frequency electromagnetic field produces elevated levels of hsp70 and stimulates intracellular pathways known to be involved in injury and repair. Individual head and tail portions from the same worm were exposed to a 60 Hertz 80 milliGauss ELF-EMF for 1 h twice daily for 15 days post-transection. ELF-EMF exposure caused a significant increase in regeneration for both heads and tails, and exposed tails developed eyes at day seven post-transection, while sham control tails showed the first appearance of eyes 48 h later. Exposed animals also showed an elevation in hsp70 protein, an activation of an ERK cascade, and an increase in SRF-SRE binding.

Continuous wave and simulated GSM exposure at 1.8 W/kg and 1.8 GHz do not induce hsp16-1 heat-shock gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Dawe AS et al. · 2008

Researchers exposed a transgenic strain of the nematode C. elegans to radiofrequency fields at 1.8 GHz and a specific absorption rate of approximately 1.8 W/kg. For both continuous wave and Talk-pulsed exposures lasting 2.5 hours, there was no indication that RF exposure could induce reporter expression above sham control levels. When background reporter expression was moderately elevated in sham controls, the researchers found some evidence that reporter expression may be reduced by approximately 15% following exposure to either Talk-pulsed or CW RF fields.

Mobile phone electromagnetic radiation activates MAPK signaling and regulates viability in Drosophila.

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.

A method for detecting the effect of magnetic field on activity changes of neuronal populations of Morimus funereus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).

Todorović D, Kalauzi A, Prolić Z, Jović M, Mutavdzić D. · 2007

Researchers measured the influence of a static magnetic field at 2 mT on neuronal population activity in eight individuals of the endangered insect species Morimus funereus. Five minutes of exposure produced excitatory effects in 5 of 8 individuals and inhibitory effects in 3 of 8 individuals in the antennal lobe. When reversibility was analyzed, the induced effects were prevailingly irreversible: 7 of 8 for the neuronal population and 6 of 8 for the nearest neuron.

A small temperature rise may contribute towards the apparent induction by microwaves of heat-shock gene expression in the nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans.

Dawe AS et al. · 2006

The study compared heat-shock gene expression in nematodes exposed to 1.0 GHz microwaves at 0.5 W in copper and silver-plated TEM cells. In copper cells, exposed samples were up to 0.2°C warmer than sham controls, and a 20% increase in reporter expression was observed. The authors concluded that the original non-thermal interpretation cannot be sustained and at least part of the effect is thermal.

Reproductive Health139 citations

Effects of mobile phone radiation on reproduction and development in Drosophila melanogaster.

Weisbrot D, Lin H, Ye L, Blank M, Goodman R. · 2003

Researchers exposed fruit flies to a discontinuous RF signal from a GSM multiband phone at 900/1,900 MHz with SAR approximately 1.4 W/kg for 10 days from egg laying through pupation. The non-thermal radiation increased offspring numbers, elevated hsp70 levels, increased SRE DNA-binding, and induced ELK-1 phosphorylation.

Growth and maturation of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans following exposure to weak microwave fields.

de Pomerai DI, Dawe A, DjerbibL, Allan, Brunt G, Daniells C. · 2002

Researchers investigated growth rate and maturation proportion in C. elegans exposed to prolonged microwave fields at 25°C in synchronized cultures of wild-type larvae. Microwave exposure significantly increased growth rate by 8–11% and maturation proportion by 28–40%. Mild heat treatment at 28°C decreased growth rate by 10% and almost abolished maturation proportion, showing effects opposite to microwave exposure.

Evidence for the involvement of nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase in the modulation of opioid-induced antinociception and the inhibitory effects of exposure to 60-Hz magnetic fields in the land snail.

Kavaliers M, Choleris E, Prato FS, Ossenkopp K · 1998

Researchers studied how nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) influence opioid-induced antinociception in the land snail Cepaea nemoralis, and whether these chemicals play a role in the effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field exposure. Pain relief was measured by how long snails took to withdraw their foot from a thermal stimulus of 40°C. Exposure to a 60-Hz magnetic field at 141 μT peak for 15 minutes reduced the enkephalinase-induced antinociception in the snails. The inhibitory effects of the magnetic field were significantly reduced by a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and significantly enhanced by a nitric oxide releasing agent.

The effect of pulsed microwaves on passive electrical properties and interspike intervals of snail neurons.

Field AS, Ginsburg K, Lin JC · 1993

Researchers studied the effects of pulsed microwaves on membrane input resistance and action potential interval statistics in spontaneously active ganglion neurons of land snails (Helix aspersa). Experiments were conducted at strictly constant temperature, so macroscopic heating was not responsible for any observed effects. Exposure significantly increased mean input resistance, while mean firing rate and mean input current were not affected. The net input current was found to be more variable in exposed neurons, though changes in interspike interval standard deviation and input current autocorrelation were not consistent across neurons.

954 MHz microwaves enhance the mutagenic properties of mitomycin C.

Unknown authors · 1992

Researchers used transcription autoradiography to measure nascent RNA chains on Drosophila salivary gland chromosomes. After 20-minute exposures to five different extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields, transcriptional activity changed at 13 defined regions of chromosome 3R. The fields also altered translational patterns, increasing overall polypeptide synthesis and the number of polypeptides resolved.

Transcriptional Patterns in the X Chromosome of Sciara coprophila Following Exposure to Magnetic Fields

Reba Goodman, Joan Abbott, Ann S. Henderson · 1987

Researchers exposed salivary gland cells from Sciara coprophila larvae to three magnetic field signals: a 72-Hz single repetitive pulse, a 15-Hz repetitive pulse burst, and a 72-Hz sine wave. Eight normally active X chromosome regions showed increased transcription, and three regions (Xc, B", Xf) became detectably active only after exposure. The sine wave and single pulse signals produced stronger transcriptional responses than the pulse train signal.

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