4G, also known as Long Term Evolution or LTE, is the fourth generation of cellular technology. It employs new digital signal processing and modulation to increase the capacity and speed of wireless telecommunications networks.
Like 5G, LTE was launched without any pre-market safety testing. Research has found that exposure to LTE radiation leads to a change in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may result in "genotoxic stress, decreased proliferation and cell senescence, or no physiological effects depending on ROS concentration and the differential sensitivity of various cells to ROS." Several studies on human subjects have found that short-term exposure to LTE radiation affects brain functioning. No research has examined the health effects of long-term exposure to LTE.
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Background: The risks to human health have grown over the past 10 years due to the excessive use of mobile phones.
Objectives: The study was designed to determine the harmful effects of 4G mobile phone radiation on the expression of immunogenic and vascular genes and gross, microscopic and biochemical alterations in the development of chicken embryos.
Methods: Sixty individuals in the exposure group were subjected to mobile phones with a specific absorption rate of 1.4 W/kg and a frequency of 2100 MHz positioned at a distance of 12 cm in the incubator for 60 min/night for 14 days. The histopathological examination involved hematoxylin and eosin staining, whereas cresyl violet staining was used to evaluate the condition and number of neurons in the brain. The biochemical parameters of amniotic fluid were analysed using the photometry method, and the expression of VEGF-A and immunity genes (AvBD9, IL6) was measured using the real-time PCR (qPCR) technique.
Results: Compared to the control, the exposure group's body weight and length significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Subcutaneous bleeding was seen in the exposure group. Urea, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were all significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). The exposed group showed pathological lesions in the liver and degenerated neurons with lightly stained nuclei in the cerebral cortex. Hyperchromatic neurons were significantly higher in the exposure group (58.8 ± 2.28) compared to the control (6.6 ± 0.44) (p < 0.05). 4G exposure reduced lymphocyte count in the caecal tonsil (86.8 ± 5.38) compared to the control (147.2 ± 9.06) (p < 0.05). Vascular gene mRNA expression was higher, but immune gene expression was lower in the exposed group.
Conclusion: Exposure to mobile phone radiation may result in gross, microscopic and biochemical changes, as well as alterations in gene expression that could hinder embryonic development.
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Samira Souffi, Julie Lameth, Quentin Gaucher, Délia Arnaud-Cormos, Philippe Lévêque, Jean-Marc Edeline, Michel Mallat. Exposure to 1800 MHz LTE electromagnetic fields under proinflammatory conditions decreases the response strength and increases the acoustic threshold of auditory cortical neurons. Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 8;12(1):4063. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-07923-9.
Abstract
Erkin Özdemir, Ülkü Çömelekoglu, Evren Degirmenci, Gülsen Bayrak, Metin Yildirim, Tolgay Ergenoglu, Banu Coşkun Yılmaz, Begüm Korunur Engiz, Serap Yalin, Dilan Deniz Koyuncu, Erkan Ozbay. The effect of 4.5 G (LTE Advanced-Pro network) mobile phone radiation on the optic nerve. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2021 Mar 3;1-27. doi: 10.1080/15569527.2021.1895825.
Abstract
Purpose: Rapid development in mobile phone technologies increase the average mobile phone usage duration. This increase also triggers exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RF), which is a risk factor for the health. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of mobile phone working with LTE-Advanced Pro (4.5G) mobile network on the optic nerve, which is responsible for the transmission of visual information.
Material and methods: Thirty-two rats divided into two groups as control (no RF, sham exposure) and experimental (RF exposure using a mobile phone with LTE-Advanced Pro network; 2 hours/day, 6 weeks). The visual evoked potential (VEP) was recorded and determined amplitudes and latencies of VEP waves. Optic nerve malondialdehyde level, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were determined. Furthermore, ultrastructural and morphometric changes of optic nerve were evaluated.
Results: In VEP recordings, the mean VEP amplitudes of experimental group were significantly lower than control group. In ultrastructural evaluation, myelinated nerve fibers and glial cells were observed in normal histologic appearance both in sham and experimental group. However, by performing morphometric analysis, in the experimental group, axonal diameter and myelin thickness were shown to be lower and the G-ratio was higher than in the sham group. In the experimental group, malondialdehyde level was significantly higher and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were significantly lower than sham group. There was a high correlation between VEP wave amplitudes and oxidative stress markers.
Conclusion: Findings obtained in this study support optic nerve damage. These results point out an important risk that may decrease the quality of life.
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Imam Hasan, Tanjina Amin, Md. Rafiqul Alam, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam. Hematobiochemical and histopathological alterations of kidney and testis due to exposure of 4G cell phone radiation in mice. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. Available online 17 February 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.028.
Abstract
The radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation emitted by smart phones on biological systems has wide media coverage and public concern in recent years. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of fourth-generation cell phone radiation exposure on hematological (Total leukocyte count, Total erythrocyte count, and hemoglobin %), biochemical (Serum creatinine) parameters, and histopathological changes in the kidney and testis of Swiss albino mice. A total of 30 male Swiss albino mice weighing 45–65 g was randomly divided into three groups (n = 10). The first group A was the control group, the second group B, was exposed to 40 minutes of mobile phone radiation daily, the third group C was exposed to 60 minutes of radiation daily from two 2400 Megahertz fourth-generation connected mobile phones for 60 days, respectively. The electromagnetic radiation frequency radiometer measured the frequency of electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones. The specific absorption rate was calculated as 0.087 W/kg. The control group was kept under similar conditions, but the electromagnetic field was not given for the same period. All the mice were sacrificed at the end of the experiment. The blood samples were collected for hematobiochemical study, and then kidney and testis tissues were collected for histopathological study. Results of the study showed that the body weight and total erythrocyte count values were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased while total leukocyte count, hemoglobin %, and serum creatinine values were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in both the radiation exposure groups relative to the control group. Histopathological observation showed the kidney of 60 minutes exposed mice interstitial inflammation that causes marked mononuclear cellular infiltration compared to the 40 minutes and control mice. Compared to control mice, histopathological examinations of testicular tissue from the exposed mice, showed irregular in shapes and non-uniform sizes and fewer spermatogenic cells layer that leads to the larger lumen in the seminiferous tubules. It is concluded that fourth-generation cell phone radiation exposure may affect blood hemostasis and inflammation of mice's kidney and testis tissue. Based on these studies, it is important to increase public consciousness of potential adverse effects of mobile phone radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation exposure.
Christopher B, Mary S, Khandaker MU, Jojo PJ. Empirical study on specific absorption rate of head tissues due to induced heating of 4G cell phone radiation. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. 178(Special Issue): 108910. Jan 2021. DOI:10.1016/j.radphyschem.2020.108910.
Abstract
Exposures to electromagnetic radiation mainly from the extended use of mobile phones may initiate biological damages in the human body at the macromolecular level. Several studies on human and animal models have shown significant changes in the functions of neural cells. Present empirical study analyses the thermal changes and the specific absorption rates (SAR) of brain, eye and skin tissues due to prolonged exposure to mobile phone radiation. A phantom, simulating human head with skin, skull and brain was used for the study. The Phantom was exposed to radiation for longer durations (600 s and more) and the temperature variations at different specific points were studied with sensitive thermocouple probes. SAR (1 g of contiguous tissue) values were determined using the variations of temperature and other parameters. The average rise in brain temperature was found to be 0.10 +/- 0.05 degrees C at 30 mm deep in the brain and the estimated SAR was 0.66 +/- 0.35 Wkg(-1). The increase in temperature for the eye socket was 0.03 +/- 0.02 degrees C with SAR 0.15 +/- 0.08 Wkg(-1). The average rise in temperature for skin was 0.14 +/- 0.05 degrees C and the SAR was 0.66 +/- 0.42 Wkg(-1). Although the measured SAR lie within the safe limit of 2 Wkg(-1) recommended by the international regulatory body, considering the tremendous growth in the number of mobile phone users and prolonged use of mobile phone in communication purposes, the cumulative effects could be a real concern for human health.
Lei Yang, Chen Zhang, Zhiye Chen, Congsheng Li, Tongning Wu. Functional and network analyses of human exposure to long-term evolution signal. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 Sep 25. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-10728-w.
Human exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by wireless communication systems has raised public concerns. There were claims of the potential association of some neurophysiological disorders with the exposure, but the mechanism is yet to be established. The wireless networks, recently, experience a transition from the 4th generation (4G) to 5th generation (5G), while 4G long-term evolution (LTE) is still the frequently used signal in wireless communication. In the study, exposure experiments were conducted using the LTE signal. The subjects were divided into sham and real exposure groups. Before and after the exposure experiments, they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Within-session and between-session comparisons have been executed for functional connectivity and network properties. Individual specific absorption rate (SAR) was also calculated. The results indicated that acute LTE exposure beneath the safety limits modulated both the functional connection and graph-based properties. To characterize the effect of functional activity, SAR averaged over a certain tissue mass was not an appropriate metric. The potential neurophysiological effect of 5G exposure has also been discussed in the study.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32974829/
Human brain modulation following LTE exposure was first evaluated by functional and network metrics. The topological changes have been reported, and their consistency with the previous analysis was highlighted. Integrating the results from the regional BOLD variation, intraregional similarity, and hypothesis-driven FC analysis, a comprehensive view for the brain activity by the exposure of LTE signal and the signal of next-generation can be obtained. Another novelty was that no correlation was found between the peak SAR values and the altered topological parameters. It demonstrated peak SAR averaged over a certain mass, which was used for assessing the thermal effect of human exposure, was incongruous to quantify the neurophysiological effect of EMF exposure. It may clarify the inconsistency in current human exposure studies.
Continuous Exposure to 1.7 GHz LTE (4G) Electromagnetic Fields Increases Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species to Decrease Human Cell Proliferation and Induce Senescence
Jisu Choi, Kyeongrae Min, Sangbong Jeon, Nam Kim, Jeong-Ki Pack, Kiwon Song. Continuous Exposure to 1.7 GHz LTE Electromagnetic Fields Increases Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species to Decrease Human Cell Proliferation and Induce Senescence. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 8;10(1):9238. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-65732-4.
Abstract
Due to the rapid development of mobile phone technology, we are continuously exposed to 1.7 GHz LTE radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs), but their biological effects have not been clarified. Here, we investigated the non-thermal cellular effects of these RF-EMFs on human cells, including human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs), Huh7 and Hep3B liver cancer stem cells (CSCs), HeLa and SH-SY5Y cancer cells, and normal fibroblast IMR-90 cells. When continuously exposed to 1.7 GHz LTE RF-EMF for 72 h at 1 and 2 SAR, cell proliferation was consistently decreased in all the human cells. The anti-proliferative effect was higher at 2 SAR than 1 SAR and was less severe in ASCs. The exposure to RF-EMF for 72 h at 1 and 2 SAR did not induce DNA double strand breaks or apoptotic cell death, but did trigger a slight delay in the G1 to S cell cycle transition. Cell senescence was also clearly observed in ASC and Huh7 cells exposed to RF-EMF at 2 SAR for 72 h. Intracellular ROS increased in these cells and the treatment with an ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavenger recapitulated the anti-proliferative effect of RF-EMF. These observations strongly suggest that 1.7 GHz LTE RF-EMF decrease proliferation and increase senescence by increasing intracellular ROS in human cells.
It is not plausible to directly predict the physiological effects of 1.7 GHz LTE RF-EMF from our cell-based study. However, the anti-proliferative effect of 1.7 GHz LTE RF-EMF on various human cells in this study suggests that the exposure to 1.7 GHz LTE RF-EMF would be more harmful to children, whose adult stem cells should be very active for growth and may accelerate the aging of body cells. We also carefully suggest that the anti-proliferative effect of various cancer cells by 1.7 GHz LTE RF-EMF would be interpreted with care, considering that both positive and negative effects of RF-EMF have been reported on cancer development.
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Highlights
• Induced heating of 4G cell phone radiation affects the functions of neural cells.
• Temperature and SAR of brain, eye and skin tissues are measured in laboratory condition.
• Rise in temperature and SAR values are found in the studied tissues for confrontation of 600 s.
• Long time and over exposure to mobile phone radiation may affect the individual health.
Abstract
Exposures to electromagnetic radiation mainly from the extended use of mobile phones may initiate biological damages in the human body at the macromolecular level. Several studies on human and animal models have shown significant changes in the functions of neural cells. Present empirical study analyses the thermal changes and the specific absorption rates (SAR) of brain, eye and skin tissues due to prolonged exposure to mobile phone radiation. A phantom, simulating human head with skin, skull and brain was used for the study. The Phantom was exposed to radiation for longer durations (600 s and more) and the temperature variations at different specific points were studied with sensitive thermocouple probes. SAR (1 g of contiguous tissue) values were determined using the variations of temperature and other parameters. The average rise in brain temperature was found to be 0.10 ± 0.05 °C at 30 mm deep in the brain and the estimated SAR was 0.66 ± 0.35 Wkg-1. The increase in temperature for the eye socket was 0.03 ± 0.02 °C with SAR 0.15 ± 0.08 Wkg-1. The average rise in temperature for skin was 0.14 ± 0.05 °C and the SAR was 0.66 ± 0.42 Wkg-1. Although the measured SAR lie within the safe limit of 2 Wkg-1 recommended by the international regulatory body, considering the tremendous growth in the number of mobile phone users and prolonged use of mobile phone in communication purposes, the cumulative effects could be a real concern for human health.
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Effects of mobile phone radiation on certain hematological parameters
Christopher B, Sheena MY, Uddin Khandaker M, Bradley DA, Chew MT, Jojo PJ. Effects of mobile phone radiation on certain hematological parameters. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Published online September 14, 2019. 108443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2019.108443.
Highlights
• Mobile phone radiation affects blood hemoglobin level, white blood cell and platelets count and erythrocytes sedimentation rate.
• Effects of mobile phone radiation on hematological factors studied in a controlled condition in the laboratory.
• A matched case control approach was adopted for the investigation.
• Long time and over exposure to mobile phone radiation may affect the individual health.
Abstract
Exorbitant chronic exposure to any sort of radiation is hazardous to human health. Besides ionizing radiation, exposures to electromagnetic radiation mainly from the use of mobile phones have become a matter of great health concern, especially its extortionate use even by children. At the same time there are several myths related to the ill effects including carcinogenicity of the prolonged exposure continuously. The objective of this investigation was to find the effect on certain vital hematological parameters namely hemoglobin level, white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet count and erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) level due to the prolonged exposure to mobile radiations through in vitro examination of human blood samples. Matched case control methodology was adopted for the study. Blood samples were collected by clinicians from 27 voluntary subjects for investigation. From each, one sample was kept un-exposed while the other three samples were exposed to mobile microwave radiations for 60 min continuously in identical and controlled conditions. A 4G hand phone of a very popular brand having transmission frequency range from 2.3 to 2.4 GHz including uplink and downlink was used. Hematological analyses were carried out on fresh samples immediately after collection. For comparison of the levels of hematological parameters, blood exposed to 1 h of phone radiation and control were analysed. Experimental results show that there is a significant change on the hematological components. The exposed blood samples were found to have decrease in platelet count only. Hemoglobin level, ESR rate and the WBC counts were found to be increased. While these observations are performed in a controlled laboratory conditions, the tremendous growth in number of mobile phone users, the effects could be many more folds especially in work places and cities even through passive exposure.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969806X19305481
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Early-life exposure to pulsed LTE radiofrequency fields causes persistent changes in activity and behavior in mice
Broom KA, Findlay R, Addison DS, Goiceanu C, Sienkiewicz Z. Early-life exposure to pulsed LTE radiofrequency fields causes persistent changes in activity and behavior in C57BL/6 J mice. Bioelectromagnetics. 2019 Sep 15. doi: 10.1002/bem.22217.
Despite much research, gaps remain in knowledge about the potential health effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields. This study investigated the effects of early-life exposure to pulsed long term evolution (LTE) 1,846 MHz downlink signals on innate mouse behavior. Animals were exposed for 30 min/day, 5 days/week at a whole-body average specific energy absorption rate (SAR) of 0.5 or 1 W/kg from late pregnancy (gestation day 13.5) to weaning (postnatal day 21). A behavioral tracking system measured locomotor, drinking, and feeding behavior in the home cage from 12 to 28 weeks of age. The exposure caused significant effects on both appetitive behaviors and activity of offspring that depended on the SAR. Compared with sham-exposed controls, exposure at 0.5 W/kg significantly decreased drinking frequency (P ≤ 0.000) and significantly decreased distance moved (P ≤ 0.001). In contrast, exposure at 1 W/kg significantly increased drinking frequency (P ≤ 0.001) and significantly increased moving duration (P ≤ 0.005). In the absence of other plausible explanations, it is concluded that repeated exposure to low-level RF fields in early life may have a persistent and long-term effect on adult behavior.
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Long-term exposure to 4G smartphone radiation diminished male reproductive potential in testes of adult rats
Yu G, Tang Z, Chen H, Chen Z, Wang L, et al. Long-term exposure to 4G smartphone radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation diminished male reproductive potential by directly disrupting Spock3-MMP2-BTB axis in the testes of adult rats. Sci Total Environ. 2019 Aug 31;698:133860. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133860.
Abstract
The correlation between long-term exposure to SRF-EMR and the decline in male fertility is gradually receiving increasing attention from the medical society. While male reproductive organs are often exposed to SRF-EMR, little is currently known about the direct effects of long-term SRF-EMR exposure on the testes and its involvement in the suppression of male reproductive potential. The present study was designed to investigate this issue by using 4G SRF-EMR in rats. A unique exposure model using a 4G smartphone achieved localized exposure to the scrotum of the rats for 6 h each day (the smartphone was kept on active talk mode and received an external call for 1 min over 10 min intervals). Results showed that SRF-EMR exposure for 150 days decreased sperm quality and pup weight, accompanied by testicular injury. However, these adverse effects were not evident in rats exposed to SRF-EMR for 50 days or 100 days. Sequencing analysis and western blotting suggested Spock3 overexpression in the testes of rats exposed to SRF-EMR for 150 days. Inhibition of Spock3 overexpression improved sperm quality decline and alleviated testicular injury and BTB disorder in the exposed rats. Additionally, SRF-EMR exposure suppressed MMP2 activity, while increasing the activity of the MMP14-Spock3 complexes and decreasing MMP14-MMP2 complexes; these results were reversed by Spock3 inhibition. Thus, long-term exposure to 4G SRF-EMR diminished male fertility by directly disrupting the Spock3-MMP2-BTB axis in the testes of adult rats. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show direct toxicity of SRF-EMR on the testes emerging after long-term exposure.
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Short-term radiofrequency exposure from new generation mobile phones reduces EEG alpha power with no effects on cognitive performance.
Vecsei Z, Knakker B, Juhász P, Thuróczy G, Trunk A, Hernádi I. Short-term radiofrequency exposure from new generation mobile phones reduces EEG alpha power with no effects on cognitive performance. Sci Rep. 2018 Dec 20;8(1):18010. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-36353-9.
Abstract
Although mobile phone (MP) use has been steadily increasing in the last decades and similar positive trends are expected for the near future, systematic investigations on neurophysiological and cognitive effects caused by recently developed technological standards for MPs are scarcely available. Here, we investigated the effects of radiofrequency (RF) fields emitted by new-generation mobile technologies, specifically, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE), on intrinsic scalp EEG activity in the alpha band (8-12 Hz) and cognitive performance in the Stroop test. The study involved 60 healthy, young-adult university students (34 for UMTS and 26 for LTE) with double-blind administration of Real and Sham exposure in separate sessions. EEG was recorded before, during and after RF exposure, and Stroop performance was assessed before and after EEG recording. Both RF exposure types caused a notable decrease in the alpha power over the whole scalp that persisted even after the cessation of the exposure, whereas no effects were found on any aspects of performance in the Stroop test. The results imply that the brain networks underlying global alpha oscillations might require minor reconfiguration to adapt to the local biophysical changes caused by focal RF exposure mimicking MP use.
Open access paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6301959/
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The Effect of a Single 30-Min Long Term Evolution Mobile Phone-Like Exposure on Thermal Pain Threshold of Young Healthy Volunteers
Vecsei Z, Thuróczy G, Hernádi I. The Effect of a Single 30-Min Long Term Evolution Mobile Phone-Like Exposure on Thermal Pain Threshold of Young Healthy Volunteers. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Aug 27;15(9). pii: E1849. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15091849.
Abstract
Although the majority of mobile phone (MP) users do not attribute adverse effects on health or well-being to MP-emitted radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the exponential increase in the number of RF devices necessitates continuing research aimed at the objective investigation of such concerns. Here we investigated the effects of acute exposure from Long Term Evolution (LTE) MP EMFs on thermal pain threshold in healthy young adults. We use a protocol that was validated in a previous study in a capsaicin-induced hyperalgesia model and was also successfully used to show that exposure from an RF source mimicking a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) MP led to mildly stronger desensitization to repeated noxious thermal stimulation relative to the sham condition. Using the same experimental design, we did not find any effects of LTE exposure on thermal pain threshold. The present results, contrary to previous evidence obtained with the UMTS modulation, are likely to originate from placebo/nocebo effects and are unrelated to the brief acute LTE EMF exposure itself. The fact that this is dissimilar to our previous results on UMTS exposure implies that RF modulations might differentially affect pain perception and points to the necessity of further research on the topic.
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Modulation of brain functional connectivity by exposure to LTE (4G) cell phone radiation
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Effect of Electromagnetic Waves from Mobile Phones on Spermatogenesis in the Era of 4G-LTE
Oh JJ, Byun SS, Lee SE, Choe G, Hong SK. Effect of Electromagnetic Waves from Mobile Phones on Spermatogenesis in the Era of 4G-LTE. Biomed Res Int. 2018 Jan 29;2018:1801798.
Abstract
Objective To investigate the effect of long duration exposure to electromagnetic field from mobile phones on spermatogenesis in rats using 4G-LTE.
Methods Twenty Sprague-Dawley male rats were placed into 4 groups according to the intensity and exposure duration: Group 1 (sham procedure), Group 2 (3 cm distance + 6 h exposure daily), Group 3 (10 cm distance + 18 h exposure daily), and Group 4 (3 cm distance + 18 h exposure daily). After 1 month, we compared sperm parameters and histopathological findings of the testis.
Results The mean spermatid count (×106/ml) was 398.6 in Group 1, 365.40 in Group 2, 354.60 in Group 3, and 298.60 in Group 4 (p = 0.041). In the second review, the mean count of spermatogonia in Group 4 (43.00) was significantly lower than in Group 1 (57.00) and Group 2 (53.40) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.010, resp.). The sum of the germ cell counts was decreased in Group 4 compared to Groups 1, 2, and 3 (p = 0.032). The mean Leydig cell count was significantly decreased in Group 4 (p < 0.001).
Conclusions The longer exposure duration of electromagnetic field decreased the spermatogenesis. Our findings warrant further investigations on the potential effects of EMF from mobile phones on male fertility.
Open access paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5896334/
May 2, 2016
By the end of 2013, 100 million cell phones in the U.S. operated on LTE. This number worldwide is expected to exceed 1 billion by the end of this year.
Following is a summary of the second study published on the effects of 4th generation LTE cell phone radiation on the brain activity of cell phone users by the China Academy of Telecommunication Research of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The original study showed that 30 minutes of exposure to LTE phone radiation affected brain activity in the left superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus and right paracentral lobule. The current study found that a 30-minute exposure to LTE radiation modulated the EEG in the alpha and beta bands at the frontal region of the near and remote sides, and at the temporal region on the near side.
Yang L, Chen Q, Lv B, Wu T. Long-Term Evolution Electromagnetic Fields Exposure Modulates the Resting State EEG on Alpha and Beta Bands. Clin EEG Neurosci. 2017 May;48(3):168-175. doi: 10.1177/1550059416644887.
Abstract
Long-term evolution (LTE) wireless telecommunication systems are widely used globally, which has raised a concern that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted from LTE devices can change human neural function. To date, few studies have been conducted on the effect of exposure to LTE EMF. Here, we evaluated the changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) due to LTE EMF exposure. An LTE EMF exposure system with a stable power emission, which was equivalent to the maximum emission from an LTE mobile phone, was used to radiate the subjects. Numerical simulations were conducted to ensure that the specific absorption rate in the subject's head was below the safety limits. Exposure to LTE EMF reduced the spectral power and the interhemispheric coherence in the alpha and beta bands of the frontal and temporal brain regions. No significant change was observed in the spectral power and the inter-hemispheric coherence in different timeslots during and after the exposure. These findings also corroborated those of our previous study using functional magnetic resonant imaging.
http://1.usa.gov/2475GM3
Excerpts
".. the results of resting state EEG experiments have been contradictory. For example, some studies have reported enhancement of the alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) band power values after exposure to pulse-modulated 450- and 900-MHz signals, pulse-modulated magnetic fields, and active mobile phone signals. In contrast, some studies have shown decreased alpha band activity after 20 minutes of extremely low-frequency EMF exposure, or 5 minutes of magnetic field exposure, or global system for mobile communications (GSM) EMF exposure. Many studies also found no changes in the EEG after either modulated or unmodulated EMF exposure. These inconsistencies could be attributed not only to the differences in the signal type, the modulation, the exposure frequency, the exposure intensity individual anatomy, the ages of the subjects, and the exposure duration but also to the lack of rigorous experimental designs. Most of the previously published studies have focused on GSM, WiFi, and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), signals. An emerging technology, “long term evolution” (LTE) wireless service, has been deployed since 2009 and the number of global LTE subscribers is expected to reach 1.37 billion by the end of 2015. Other than our previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, there are very few reports on the effect of exposure to LTE EMF on brain function. We previously found that 30 minutes of exposure to LTE EMF modulated the spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations. We were interested in confirming our previous results using another neurophysiological method and also sought to assess the evolution of the effect over time during such exposure. In this article, we have investigated for the first time the changes in the resting state EEG caused by exposure to LTE signals. The exposure dose was below the current safety limit. In order to assess brain activities on different levels, we evaluated spectral power and interhemispheric coherence, which allowed investigation of EEG changes in specific brain regions, as well as their correlations, at different time points. We show that exposure to LTE EMF decreased the alpha and beta band power spectrum and interhemisphere coherence."
"The age of the subjects was 30.2 ± 2.7 years."
"A plastic spacer of 1 cm was used to maintain the distance between the right ear and a standard dipole. We applied 2 power meters to ensure a constant incident power to the emission dipole. The power delivered to the dipole was 24 dBm (peak value), equivalent to a theoretical maximum emission by an LTE terminal."
"All 25 subjects participated in the double-blind and counterbalanced experiment."
"The experiment included 2 sessions, which were separated by 1 week. Each session lasted 50 minutes and comprised 5 time slots. We indicated each time slot (10 minutes) in a session as sub1 to sub5. The radiation dipole was power off for the first (preexposure, sub1) and the last 10 minutes (postexposure, sub5) timeslots. Subjects were exposed to real EMF exposure in the 3 time slots (sub2 to sub4) between the first and the last 10 minutes in only 1 of the 2 sessions. The order of the 2 sessions was randomly selected per subject. The subjects were not informed of the sequence of each session; however, they were aware of the possibility of being exposed. On the other hand, the staff who analyzed the data did not know the sources of the EEG traces."
"The simulations yielded 1.34 W/kg (pSAR10g) and 1.96 W/kg (pSAR1g), with the electrodes, and 1.27 W/kg (pSAR10g) and 1.78 W/kg (pSAR1g), without the electrodes (Figure 2) when the dipole emitted radiation. Therefore, the presence of the EEG electrodes increased pSAR10g and pSAR1g by about 5.5% and 10.1%, respectively. Accordingly, the maximum resultant temperature increase was no more than 0.1°C ...."
"Previous studies on GSM and UMTS signal exposure frequently reported changes in interhemispheric coherence and the spectral power in the alpha band in the frontal and temporal regions, which were also confirmed by our results on LTE EMF exposure. Moreover, modulation of the power spectrum in the beta band, including both an increase and a decrease, was reported. Several reasons may account for the inconsistency. First, the signal frequency and its modulation influenced the affected EEG band: for example, exposure to 2G signals affect the alpha rhythms, whilst exposure to 3G signals do not. In contrast, the modulated 450-MHz signals of various intensities can change beta activity much more markedly than alpha band power. Second, gender and the individual sensitivity 38,40 may influence the effect on different bands. Hence, we attempted to reduce the variability by enrolling the subjects with the same gender and age."
"In particular, power spectral analysis has shown significant differences in the left frontal brain regions, that is, the remote side, on exposure. This may be associated with modulation of neural activity in the remote/contralateral brain regions. The remote effects of EMF have been observed in many previous studies. Our results reconfirmed that the effects were also seen with LTE EMF exposure."
"The power spectrum and the interhemispheric coherence did not differ significantly over sub2 to sub5. Thus, the observed effect did not change with the exposure time and the effect was therefore not developing. The reduction in alpha band activity has been associated with a decrease in individual information-processing ability, alertness, and cognitive performance. The decrease in beta band activity could be interpreted as decreased alertness, arousal, and excitement or a low level of fatigue. Notably, EEG power fluctuation was not in one-one correspondence with the change in behavioral/cognitive performance which should be evaluated by specifically designed experiments as the report by Haarala et al. No conclusion could be obtained by our study that the present EMF exposure affected the subjects’ cognitive abilities."
"This work studied EEG changes caused by LTE EMF exposure. An exposure system with a fixed power incident to a radiation dipole was used; this simulation demonstrated that the SAR was within the safety limits. LTE EMF exposure modulated the EEG in the alpha and beta bands at the frontal region of the near and remote sides, and at the temporal region on the near side. No developing effect was found in the periods during and after the exposure. Our results agreed to some extent with those of our previous fMRI study on LTE exposure. Our finding indicated that the LTE EMF exposure with the intensity beneath the safety limits could modulate the brain activities."
"Future studies should focus on the correlation of EEG changes with spatial SAR distribution. By taking individual anatomical structure into consideration, a precise dose-effect relationship can be established. EEG changes with a finer temporal resolution during the exposure session should also be evaluated."
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Lv B, Chen Z, Wu T, et al. The alteration of spontaneous low frequency oscillations caused by acute electromagnetic fields exposure. Clin Neurophysiol. 2014;125:277-286.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The motivation of this study is to evaluate the possible alteration of regional resting state brain activity induced by the acute radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure (30 minutes) of Long Term Evolution (LTE) signal.
METHODS: We designed a controllable near-field LTE RF-EMF exposure environment. Eighteen subjects participated in a double-blind, crossover, randomized and counterbalanced experiment including two sessions (real and sham exposure). The radiation source was close to the right ear. Then the resting state fMRI signals of human brain were collected before and after the exposure in both sessions. We measured the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) to characterize the spontaneous brain activity.
RESULTS: We found the decreased ALFF value around in left superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus and right paracentral lobule after the real exposure. And the decreased fALFF value was also detected in right medial frontal gyrus and right paracentral lobule.
CONCLUSIONS: The study provided the evidences that 30 minute LTE RF-EMF exposure modulated the spontaneous low frequency fluctuations in some brain regions.
SIGNIFICANCE: With resting state fMRI, we found the alteration of spontaneous low frequency fluctuations induced by the acute LTE RF-EMF exposure.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24012322