Journal ArticleDOI
Low-level exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: Health effects and research needs
TLDR
It was concluded that, although hazards from exposure to high-level (thermal) RF fields were established, no known health hazards were associated with exposure to RF sources emitting fields too low to cause a significant temperature rise in tissue.Abstract:
The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), and the German and Austrian Governments jointly sponsored an international seminar in November of 1996 on the biological effects of low-level radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. For purposes of this seminar, RF fields having frequencies only in the range of about 10 MHz to 300 GHz were considered. This is one of a series of scientific review seminars held under the International Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Project to identify any health hazards from EMF exposure. The scientific literature was reviewed during the seminar and expert working groups formed to provide a status report on possible health effects from exposure to low-level RF fields and identify gaps in knowledge requiring more research to improve health risk assessments. It was concluded that, although hazards from exposure to high-level (thermal) RF fields were established, no known health hazards were associated with exposure to RF sources emitting fields too low to cause a significant temperature rise in tissue. Biological effects from low-level RF exposure were identified needing replication and further study. These included in vitro studies of cell kinetics and proliferation effects, effects on genes, signal transduction effects and alterations in membrane structure and function, and biophysical and biochemical mechanisms for RF field effects. In vivo studies should focus on the potential for cancer promotion, co-promotion and progression, as well as possible synergistic, genotoxic, immunological, and carcinogenic effects associated with chronic low-level RF exposure. Research is needed to determine whether low-level RF exposure causes DNA damage or influences central nervous system function, melatonin synthesis, permeability of the blood brain barrier (BBB), or reaction to neurotropic drugs. Reported RF-induced changes to eye structure and function should also be investigated. Epidemiological studies should investigate: the use of mobile telephones with hand-held antennae and incidence of various cancers; reports of headache, sleep disturbance, and other subjective effects that may arise from proximity to RF emitters, and laboratory studies should be conducted on people reporting these effects; cohorts with high occupational RF exposure for changes in cancer incidence; adverse pregnancy outcomes in various highly RF exposed occupational groups; and ocular pathologies in mobile telephone users and in highly RF exposed occupational groups. Studies of populations with residential exposure from point sources, such as broadcasting transmitters or mobile telephone base stations have caused widespread health concerns among the public, even though RF exposures are very low. Recent studies that may indicate an increased incidence of cancer in exposed populations should be investigated further.read more
Citations
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Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz)
TL;DR: The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)—was established as a successor to the IRPA/INIRC, which developed a number of health criteria documents on NIR as part of WHO’s Environmental Health Criteria Programme, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
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Mitochondrial membrane potential.
Ljubava D. Zorova,Vasily A. Popkov,Egor Y. Plotnikov,Denis N. Silachev,Irina B. Pevzner,S. S. Jankauskas,V. A. Babenko,S. D. Zorov,Anastasia V. Balakireva,Magdalena Juhaszova,Steven J. Sollott,Dmitry B. Zorov,Dmitry B. Zorov +12 more
TL;DR: Additional potential mechanisms for which ΔΨm is essential for maintenance of cellular health and viability are proposed and recommendations how to accurately measure ΔΩm in a cell are provided and potential sources of artifacts are discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case-control study
TL;DR: There were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma at the highest exposure levels, but biases and error prevent a causal interpretation, and the possible effects of long-term heavy use of mobile phones require further investigation.
Journal ArticleDOI
Cellular-Telephone Use and Brain Tumors
Peter D. Inskip,Robert E. Tarone,Elizabeth E. Hatch,Timothy C. Wilcosky,William R. Shapiro,Robert G. Selker,Howard A. Fine,Peter McL. Black,Jay S. Loeffler,Martha S. Linet +9 more
TL;DR: Data do not support the hypothesis that the recent use of hand-held cellular telephones causes brain tumors, but they are not sufficient to evaluate the risks among long-term, heavy users and for potentially long induction periods.
Journal ArticleDOI
Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMW) from cellular phones on human ejaculated semen: an in vitro pilot study
Ashok Agarwal,Nisarg R Desai,Kartikeya Makker,Alex C. Varghese,Rand Mouradi,Edmund Sabanegh,Rakesh Sharma +6 more
TL;DR: Radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones may lead to oxidative stress in human semen and speculate that keeping the cell phone in a trouser pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Electric power use and breast cancer: a hypothesis
TL;DR: The hypothesis that use of electric power may increase risk of breast cancer is presented based on experimental evidence that shows an effect of light and extremely low frequency electric and/or magnetic fields on pineal melatonin production, and on the relationship of melatonin to mammary carcinogenesis.
Journal ArticleDOI
Single-and double-strand DNA breaks in rat brain cells after acute exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation
Henry Lai,N. P. Singh +1 more
TL;DR: No significant difference was observed between the effects of the two forms of radiation, and it is speculated that these effects could result from a direct effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic energy on DNA molecules and/or impairment of DNA-damage repair mechanisms in brain cells.
Journal ArticleDOI
Lymphomas in Eμ-Pim1 Transgenic Mice Exposed to Pulsed 900 MHz Electromagnetic Fields
TL;DR: Long-term intermittent exposure to RF fields can enhance the probability that mice carrying a lymphomagenic oncogene will develop lymphomas, and it is suggested that such genetically cancer-prone mice provide an experimental system for more detailed assessment of dose-response relationships for risk of cancer after RF-field exposure.
Journal ArticleDOI
Effects of modulated vhf fields on the central nervous system
TL;DR: The hypothesis was offered that the weak electrical forces induced in the brain were modifying the excitability of the central neurons and that these changes were reflected in the recorded transient EEG episodes.
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