Browse 3,138 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from the BioInitiative Report database.
Showing all 3,138 studies
Wang K et al. · 2017
Scientists exposed mice to cell phone radiation (1.8 GHz) and found it improved memory performance at high exposure levels. The radiation physically changed brain cells and their electrical activity in memory regions, demonstrating that radiofrequency energy can directly alter how the brain functions.
Wang H et al. · 2017
Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at 2.856 GHz for six minutes daily over six weeks. Higher exposure levels caused lasting learning and memory problems, abnormal brain waves, and physical brain damage that persisted for months after exposure ended.
Kim JH, Yu DH, Huh YH, Lee EH, Kim HG, Kim HR. · 2017
Researchers exposed mice to cell phone-level radiation (835 MHz) for 5 hours daily over 12 weeks and found significant brain changes. The radiation damaged the protective coating around brain cells (called myelin) and caused hyperactive behavior in the mice. This suggests that prolonged exposure to radiofrequency radiation at levels similar to heavy cell phone use may harm brain function and behavior.
Yang L, Chen Q, Lv B, Wu T. · 2016
Researchers exposed people to electromagnetic fields from LTE cell phone technology (4G networks) and measured their brain activity using EEG. They found that LTE exposure reduced brain wave activity in the alpha and beta frequency bands, particularly in areas of the brain responsible for thinking and processing. This suggests that modern wireless technology can measurably alter normal brain function patterns.
Son Y et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed mice genetically modified to develop Alzheimer's-like symptoms to cell phone radiation (1950 MHz) for 3 months to see if it would worsen their memory problems. The radiation exposure at 5 W/kg (about 5 times higher than typical phone use) did not make the mice's memory worse or increase the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that cell phone radiation may not accelerate Alzheimer's progression, at least in this animal model.
Silva V et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed human thyroid cells from surgical patients to cell phone-like radiofrequency radiation and tested for cancer-related changes. They found no effects on cell growth markers, DNA damage indicators, or stress proteins that typically signal cellular harm. The study suggests that under these specific conditions, cell phone radiation did not trigger cancer-promoting changes in thyroid cells.
Schwarze S et al. · 2016
Researchers studied how electromagnetic fields affect the magnetic compass navigation system in European robins, which these birds use during nighttime migration. They found that weak broadband electromagnetic fields (covering frequencies from 2 kHz to 9 MHz) completely disrupted the birds' ability to navigate using Earth's magnetic field, while stronger narrow-band fields at specific frequencies had no effect. This suggests that the complex mix of frequencies in our modern electromagnetic environment may be more harmful to biological systems than previously thought.
Sato Y, Kiyohara K, Kojimahara N, Yamaguchi N. · 2016
Japanese researchers analyzed brain cancer rates among young adults from 1993 to 2010 to see if rising mobile phone use could explain increasing cancer incidence. While they found brain cancer rates did increase during this period (ranging from 2.7% to 12.3% annually depending on age and gender), the patterns didn't match what would be expected from mobile phone exposure. The study concluded that heavy mobile phone use cannot explain the overall increase in brain cancers among young Japanese adults.
Roser K, Schoeni A, Röösli M · 2016
Swiss researchers followed 439 adolescents aged 12-17 for one year to see if mobile phone use affected their behavior and concentration. While they found some short-term associations between phone use and behavioral problems, these disappeared when they tracked the teens over time. The study concluded that mobile phone radiation doesn't appear to cause lasting behavioral problems or concentration issues in adolescents.
Redmayne M et al. · 2016
Australian researchers followed primary school children to see if using mobile and cordless phones affected their thinking skills and memory. They found very little evidence that phone use impacted cognitive function, with only 5 out of 78 measured outcomes showing any differences between phone users and non-users. The study suggests that at typical usage levels for young children, these devices don't appear to significantly harm developing cognitive abilities.
Petitdant N et al. · 2016
French researchers exposed adolescent rats to radiofrequency radiation at levels similar to cell phone use (1.5 and 6 W/kg SAR) for 45 minutes daily over a month to see if it affected brain development, anxiety, or memory. They found no differences between exposed and unexposed rats, even in animals made more vulnerable through induced brain inflammation. The study suggests adolescent brains may not be as sensitive to RF radiation as some have theorized.
Nakatani-Enomoto S et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed human sperm samples to cell phone-like radiation (1950 MHz) for one hour at two different power levels to see if it affected sperm movement or caused DNA damage. They found no significant changes in sperm motility, movement patterns, or DNA damage markers compared to unexposed samples. This study suggests that short-term exposure to this type of radiation may not immediately harm sperm function under controlled laboratory conditions.
McNamee JP et al. · 2016
Canadian researchers exposed mice to 1.9 GHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for 4 hours daily over 5 days and examined gene activity in seven different brain regions. They found no consistent changes in gene expression at exposure levels of 0.2 or 1.4 W/kg, though they acknowledge their study may have missed very small changes below 1.5-fold. This suggests that short-term RF exposure at these levels doesn't significantly alter how genes function in the brain.
Lewis RC et al. · 2016
Researchers studied 153 men at a fertility clinic to see if mobile phone use affected sperm quality. They found no connection between how much men used their phones, where they carried them, or whether they used headsets and their semen parameters. This adds to the mixed evidence about whether cell phones impact male fertility.
Leng L, Zhang Y. · 2016
Researchers in China studied 204 people with pituitary tumors and 246 healthy controls to identify risk factors for these brain tumors. They found that mobile phone use and longer duration of use were associated with increased risk of developing pituitary tumors. This suggests that radiofrequency radiation from cell phones may contribute to tumor development in the pituitary gland, which controls many hormonal functions in the body.
Calvente I et al. · 2016
Spanish researchers measured radiofrequency radiation around the homes of 123 ten-year-old boys and tested their cognitive abilities and behavior. While most measures showed no effects, boys living in areas with higher RF exposure (though still below safety guidelines) had lower verbal skills and higher rates of anxiety-related behaviors compared to those in lower exposure areas. The researchers cautioned that study limitations prevent drawing definitive conclusions.
Reale M et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed human brain cells to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (the type from power lines) for up to 48 hours to see if it would cause neurological damage. They found no significant harmful effects on the cells' ability to manage oxidative stress or inflammation, though there were minor changes in serotonin metabolism. The study suggests that ELF-EMF exposure at these levels is unlikely to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases.
Andrianome S et al. · 2016
Researchers compared melatonin levels (a hormone that regulates sleep) between 30 people who report electromagnetic sensitivity and 25 people who don't, without exposing either group to EMF sources. While the sensitive group scored significantly worse on sleep quality questionnaires, both groups had identical melatonin levels in their saliva and urine. This suggests that whatever is causing sleep problems in electromagnetically sensitive individuals, it's not affecting their body's natural melatonin production.
Nakatani-Enomoto S et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed human sperm samples to cell phone-like radio frequency radiation at 1950 MHz for one hour at levels of 2.0 or 6.0 watts per kilogram. They found no significant effects on sperm movement, speed, or DNA damage compared to unexposed samples. The study suggests that short-term exposure to this type of radiation under controlled temperature conditions does not harm sperm quality.
Nakayama M, Nakamura A, Hondou T, Miyata H · 2016
Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to 50-Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) for 24 hours to see if it would damage their DNA. They found that magnetic field exposure alone caused no harm, but when cells were first activated by bacterial toxins, the magnetic field exposure increased DNA damage and reduced cell survival.
Roser K, Schoeni A, Röösli M · 2016
Swiss researchers followed 439 adolescents for one year to see if cell phone use affected their behavior and concentration. While they found some connections in initial snapshots, these links disappeared when tracking the teens over time. The study concludes that mobile phone radiation doesn't cause behavioral problems or concentration issues in teenagers.
Redmayne M et al. · 2016
Australian researchers studied 619 primary school children (ages 8-11) to see if using mobile phones and cordless phones affected their thinking abilities and reaction times. The children used phones very little (about 2-3 calls per week), and the study found almost no differences in cognitive performance between phone users and non-users. Only 5 out of 78 different measurements showed any statistical differences, suggesting phone use at these low levels doesn't meaningfully impact children's brain function.
Calvente I et al. · 2016
Spanish researchers measured radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure around the homes of 123 ten-year-old boys and tested their cognitive abilities and behavior. Boys living in areas with higher RF exposure (though still below safety guidelines) showed some concerning patterns including lower verbal skills and higher rates of anxiety-related problems. While the study found mostly no effects, the few significant associations raise questions about environmental RF exposure during critical brain development years.
Bhagat S, Varshney S, Bist SS, Goel D, Mishra S, Jha VK · 2016
Researchers tested whether long-term mobile phone use affects hearing by comparing the phone-using ear to the non-phone-using ear in 40 medical students who had used phones for over 4 years. They found no differences in hearing tests or brain response measurements between the two ears, even among heavy users (more than 60 minutes daily). The study suggests that chronic mobile phone exposure at the ear doesn't impair auditory function.
Medeiros LN, Sanchez TG. · 2016
Brazilian researchers reviewed 165 studies to examine whether cell phone radiation might cause or worsen tinnitus (ringing in the ears). They found that radiofrequency radiation from phones can penetrate ear tissues and cause biological effects, with some people being more sensitive to electromagnetic exposure. The review concluded there's reasonable evidence to suggest caution when using mobile phones to prevent hearing damage and tinnitus.