Lin JC. RF Health Safety Limits and Recommendations [Health Matters], IEEE Microwave Magazine, 24(6):18-77, June 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3255659.
Abstract
The rapid proliferation of cellular mobile telecommunication devices
and systems is raising public health concerns about the biological
effects and safety of RF radiation exposure. There is also concern about
the efficacy of promulgated health safety limits, rules, and
recommendations for the RF radiation used by these devices and systems.
This article reviews and discusses the U.S. Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) notices and rules, International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines, and International
Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES) standard for safety levels
with respect to human exposure to electric, magnetic, and
electromagnetic fields (EMFs). The recently revised RF exposure limits
are adjusted only for heating with RF radiation. These limits are
largely intended to restrict short-term heating by RF radiation that
raises tissue temperatures. They are narrow in scope and are not
applicable to long-term exposure at low levels. This review discusses
the assumptions underlying the standards and the outdated exposure
metrics employed, and concludes that the revised guidelines do not
adequately protect children, workers, or the public from exposure to RF
radiation or people with sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation from
wireless devices and systems. Furthermore, the review discusses
important animal data that the standards do not appear to take into
account. Moreover, for millimeter-wave radiation from 5G mobile
communications, there are no adequate human health effects studies in
the published literature. The conclusions by scientific organizations,
such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), that
diverge from these standards are also discussed. The review concludes
that many of the recommended limits are debatable and require more
scientific justification from the standpoint of safety and public health
protection.
Excerpts
A recent article challenged the health safety afforded by the current
exposure limits to RF radiation and called for an independent
evaluation of the scientific evidence [14].
It shows that the current exposure limits ignore hundreds of scientific
studies that document adverse health effects at exposures below the
threshold level claimed by these safety limits. It further contends that
the scientific evidence invalidates the health assumptions underlying
the promulgated RF exposure limits. Specifically, for frequencies below 6
GHz, a SAR value of 4 W/kg, spatially and temporally averaged over the
whole-body mass, was assumed as the effective threshold for adverse
biological effects in humans. The level was predicated on disruption of
operant-conditioned work schedules in a few trained rodents and
primates. Also, it assumed that a heat-production rate of 4 W/kg was
within the normal range of human thermoregulatory capacity. The
ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992 standards, and thus the FCC rules, ICES limits, and
ICNIRP guidelines, are introduced to prevent only adverse thermal
effects on the functioning of the human body. So, the SAR of 4 W/kg
remains as the basis for the revised ICNIRP and ICES RF exposure limits.
The
International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic
Fields article argued that the exposure limits, based on science from
the 1980s, before cellular mobile phones were ubiquitous, do not
adequately protect children, people with electromagnetic
hypersensitivity, industrial workers, and the public from unsafe
exposure to the RF radiation from cell phone and wireless devices and
systems. Furthermore, while the revised ICNIRP safety guideline and ICES
standard make recommendations to protect against adverse health effects
from exposure to RF radiation, in fact, the guidelines and standards
are based on controlling whole-body temperatures from increasing above
1 °C or local tissue temperatures to 5 °C for short-term exposures of 6
or 30 min (Table 1).
Contrary to persistent and recent concerns of inadequate health effect
studies involving RF radiation with complex novel modulations and pulse
sequences, especially about 5G, ICNIRP deleted its 1998 provision of
pulse exposure limits from the revised 2020 guidelines. Consequently,
there are no longer specific restrictions on pulse modulations of any
kind in ICNIRP 2020. Note that time-averaged SAR over a 6-min period is
inadequate to account for the unique characteristics of pulse
modulations or to capture the effects of pulse-modulated exposures,
including the microwave auditory effect that occurs without any
measurable temperature rise and at low levels of SAR [18], [19].
It is well known that the outcomes of experimental studies are affected
by differences in RF parameters and exposure conditions....
In conclusion, the revised RF exposure limits make allowances only to
worry about heat with RF radiation. These limits are devised for
restricting short-term heating by RF radiation and aim to prevent
increased tissue temperatures. Thus, they are not applicable to
long-term exposure at low levels. Instead of advances in science, they
are predicated on assumptions using outdated exposure metrics, thus
their ability to protect children, workers, and the public from exposure
to the RF radiation or people with sensitivity to electromagnetic
radiation from wireless devices and systems. Furthermore, the limits are
based on outdated information and circumvent important animal data.
These issues are even more relevant in the case of millimeter-wave
radiation from 5G mobile communications for which there are no adequate
health effects studies in the published literature. Finally, the
guidelines do not adequately address conclusions from scientific
organizations, such as the IARC. Thus, many of the recommended limits
are questionable from the standpoint of scientific justification for the
safety and public health protection.
--
Some
considerations on the challenges related to the use of the new ICNIRP
restrictions for human exposure to radiofrequency fields
Goiceanu C, Danulescu R, Danulescu E. Some considerations on the
challenges related to the use of the new ICNIRP restrictions for human
exposure to radiofrequency fields. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2023 May
24;199(8-9):818-825. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncad084.
ICNIRP 2020 guidelines for limiting exposure to radiofrequency fields replace the radiofrequency part of the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. Besides setting new restrictions that prevent thermal effect they also took over the 100 kHz to 10 MHz part of the ICNIRP 2010 guidelines for limiting exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields, which provides restrictions that prevent nerve stimulation effect. The latest guidelines brought many changes to the system of protection against exposure to radiofrequency fields starting with the physical quantities used to express restrictions and continuing with specific restrictions and new exposure metrics employed. For the first time, the case of brief local exposure to intense radiofrequency fields was accounted by ICNIRP for setting new types of exposure restrictions. All these changes led to more detailed and complex guidelines, but their provisions are more difficult to apply in practice. Our paper presents some of the challenges related to the use in practice of the new ICNIRP restrictions for human exposure to radiofrequency fields.
Excerpts
In the domain of radio frequencies, two established effects are taken
into account for setting exposure restrictions: thermal effect and nerve
stimulation effect. To protect against thermal effect, the 2020
guidelines set basic restrictions in terms of Specific Absorption Rate
(SAR) assessed as whole-body average (WBA), as well as local SAR in head
and torso or in limbs. At frequencies above 6 GHz, basic restrictions
were set for local absorbed power density (
Sab) to
account for heating localized at the surface of the body. These exposure
limits have the same values as those used in previous guidelines from
1998, except the local absorbed power density limit that restricts the
superficial heating at high frequencies. The new values of basic
restriction for power density of 100 W m
−2 for occupational exposure and of 20 W m
−2
for general public exposure are twice the limit values set by 1998
guidelines. However, the reader should keep in mind that the new
restrictions refer to absorbed power density, which is a measure of
exposure of the body, while the old restrictions from 1998 concern the
incident power density (
Sinc) which is a parameter
of the external field. The different values of the new basic
restrictions are due to the decreased averaging area from 20 to 4 cm
2
to match the face of the averaging volume (10 g) of SAR, and,
therefore, the new restrictions on power density provide a consistent
transition at 6 GHz
(8).
In addition to previous guidelines, the latest guidelines also included
new types of restrictions to protect against brief local exposure to
intense fields. For exposures lasting < 6 minutes, basic restrictions
in terms of local specific absorption (SA), and absorbed energy density
(Uab) were set. Moreover, the new guidelines also
take into account the nerve stimulation effect and therefore,
restrictions have been taken over from the ICNIRP 2010 guidelines on
low-frequency electric and magnetic fields. Basic restrictions for nerve
stimulation are expressed in terms of induced electric field strength
and limit values are provided for frequencies between 100 kHz and
10 MHz.
Conclusions
The new ICNIRP 2020 guidelines are more detailed
than previous guidelines and cover a wider range of exposure scenarios.
New physical quantities and new metrics are used for setting
restrictions on different types of exposure. Besides the whole-body
exposure, the new radiofrequency guidelines provide reference levels for
local exposure and brief intense local exposure. Although the
guidelines are more comprehensive, their provisions might confuse the
reader due to the complexity of changes, as well as the introduction of
some new concepts and quantities that represents a challenge for
practitioners who need to perform compliance evaluation.
Considering
the complexity and novelty of the new guidelines, training of personnel
involved in measurement of radiofrequency field levels and evaluating
compliance with exposure restrictions is needed. Besides additional
information and advice on exposure restrictions and quantities
expressing them, aspects related to practical determination of the new
quantities or the use of new metrics should be approached. Guidance is
needed on different technical issues as measurement of incident power
density, especially within the radiative near-field zone, as well as
averaging over 4 and 1-cm2 areas. For the determination of
the newly introduced quantity, the incident energy density,
clarification is needed on methods and equipment to use and how to
process the measurement data. Moreover, between 100 kHz and 10 MHz, two
sets of reference levels for both, electric and magnetic field strength,
one set for thermal effect and the other one for nerve stimulation
effect are provided and, consequently, guidance is necessary on the way
to apply them. As the authors emphasized, generally one of the two sets
of reference levels is more relevant for each electric or magnetic field
strength. Further clarification is needed on which of the two types of
reference level prevails and should be used when evaluating compliance
in real exposure scenarios.
The exact manner
of measuring or calculating the physical quantities expressing all
reference levels needs to be provided by relevant technical bodies.
Standardized procedures should also take into account the
characteristics of different types of sources and possible exposure
scenarios accounting for reasonable assumable intended use, as well as
for worst case exposure scenario. Moreover, manufacturers of measuring
equipment should develop appropriate equipment and probes for measuring
all physical quantities and cover all exposure metrics with the aim of
allowing evaluation of compliance with all reference levels provided by
the new guidelines.
To conclude, the amount
and the complexity of changes, as well as the novelty related to
concepts, quantities and specific provisions led to more detailed and
precise guidelines, but more complex and more difficult to assimilate
and to use in practice. Therefore, qualified advice for good practice in
evaluating compliance with guidelines is needed, as well as guidance
for adequate measurement methods and procedures, and appropriate
selection of measuring equipment. Further advice on the entire process
of exposure assessment will be required to facilitate the implementation
of the new ICNIRP guidelines in practice when they are adopted as
European or national regulations.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37225206/
--
Mobile phone calls,
genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212
046 UK Biobank participants
Ye Z, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Yang S, Liu M, Wu Q, Zhou C, He P, Gan X, Qin X. Mobile phone calls,
genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212
046 UK Biobank participants. European Heart Journal - Digital Health, 2023. doi: 10.1093/ehjdh/ztad024.
Abstract
Aims The
relationship between mobile phone use for making or receiving calls and
hypertension risk remains uncertain. We aimed to examine the
associations of mobile phone use for making or receiving calls and the
use frequency with new-onset hypertension in the general population,
using data from the UK Biobank.
Methods and results A
total of 212 046 participants without prior hypertension in the UK
Biobank were included. Participants who have been using a mobile phone
at least once per week to make or receive calls were defined as mobile
phone users. The primary outcome was new-onset hypertension. During a
median follow-up of 12.0 years, 13 984 participants developed new-onset
hypertension. Compared with mobile phone non-users, a significantly
higher risk of new-onset hypertension was found in mobile phone users
[hazards ratio (HR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.12].
Among mobile phone users, compared with those with a weekly usage time
of mobile phones for making or receiving calls <5 mins, significantly
higher risks of new-onset hypertension were found in participants with a
weekly usage time of 30–59 mins (HR, 1.08; 95%CI: 1.01–1.16), 1–3 h
(HR, 1.13; 95%CI: 1.06–1.22), 4–6 h (HR, 1.16; 95%CI: 1.04–1.29), and
>6 h (HR, 1.25; 95%CI: 1.13–1.39) (P for trend <0.001).
Moreover, participants with both high genetic risks of hypertension and
longer weekly usage time of mobile phones making or receiving calls had
the highest risk of new-onset hypertension.
Conclusions Mobile
phone use for making or receiving calls was significantly associated
with a higher risk of new-onset hypertension, especially among
high-frequency users
Excerpts
In this large, population-based prospective cohort study, we first
demonstrated that mobile phone use for making or receiving calls was
significantly related to a higher risk of new-onset hypertension. More
importantly, among mobile phone users, there was a significantly
positive association between the weekly usage time of mobile phones for
making or receiving calls and new-onset hypertension. In addition, the
association between weekly usage of mobile phones for making or
receiving calls and the risk of hypertension was strengthened by the
genetic susceptibility to hypertension. Nevertheless, there were no
significant associations between the length of mobile phone use or
hands-free device/speakerphone use to make or receive calls and the risk
of new-onset hypertension. These findings suggested that it is the
frequency of mobile phone use for making or receiving calls, rather than
the length of start using it, that determined the effect of mobile
phone use on the risk of hypertension. In other words, long-term healthy
mobile phone use for making or receiving calls may not affect the risk
of hypertension as long as it is used for no more than 30 min per week
to make or receive calls.
...
it is possible that our study underestimated the association between
weekly usage time making or receiving calls and the risk of new-onset
hypertension. In fact, according to the answers to the question ‘Is
there any difference between your mobile phone use now compared to 2
years ago?’, only 12.8% and 13.7% of the participants at baseline and at
2012–13 follow-up in the UK biobank study reported that the mobile
phone use was now less frequent. What’s more, we also found a
significantly positive association between weekly usage of mobile phones
for making or receiving calls and an increase in SBP levels at the
2012–13 follow-up (vs. that at baseline) (see Supplementary material online, Figure S2).
This result, with a more objective outcome and having direct data
indicating relatively stable mobile use during follow-up, further
supported our findings of the positive association between weekly usage
of mobile phones for making or receiving calls and new-onset
hypertension....
In conclusion, mobile phone use for making or receiving calls was
significantly associated with a higher risk of new-onset hypertension,
especially in those with a longer weekly usage time, among the general
population. Our findings and the underlying mechanisms should be further
evaluated in more studies. If further confirmed, our study suggests
that reducing the time spent using mobile phones to make or receive
calls may play a role in the primary prevention of hypertension in the
general population.
--
Effects of man-made
electromagnetic fields on heart rate variability parameters of general
public: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies
Mansourian M, Marateb H, Nouri R, Mansourian M. Effects of man-made
electromagnetic fields on heart rate variability parameters of general
public: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies.
Rev Environ Health. 2023 May 18. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2022-0191.
Abstract
Objectives: The effects of man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on the cardiovascular system have been investigated in many studies. In this regard, the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity due to EMFs exposure, assessed by heart rate variability (HRV), was targeted in some studies. The studies investigating the relationship between EMFs and HRV have yielded conflicting results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the data's consistency and identify the association between EMFs and HRV measures.
Content: Published literature from four electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane, were retrieved and screened. Initially, 1601 articles were retrieved. After the screening, 15 original studies were eligible to be included in the meta-analysis. The studies evaluated the association between EMFs and SDNN (standard deviation of NN intervals), SDANN (Standard deviation of the average NN intervals for each 5 min segment of a 24 h HRV recording), and PNN50 (percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms).
Summary: There was a decrease in SDNN (ES=-0.227 [-0.389, -0.065], p=0.006), SDANN (ES=-0.526 [-1.001, -0.05], p=0.03) and PNN50 (ES=-0.287 [-0.549, -0.024]). However, there was no significant difference in LF (ES=0.061 (-0.267, 0.39), p=0.714) and HF (ES=-0.134 (0.581, 0.312), p=0.556). In addition, a significant difference was not observed in LF/HF (ES=0.079 (-0.191, 0.348), p=0.566).
Outlook: Our meta-analysis suggests that exposure to the environmental artificial EMFs could significantly correlate with SDNN, SDANN, and PNN50 indices. Therefore, lifestyle modification is essential in using the devices that emit EMs, such as cell phones, to decrease some signs and symptoms due to EMFs' effect on HRV.
Excerpts
Nevertheless, the possible
mechanism of EMFs’ effect on the cardiovascular system (slowing of heart
rate) is speculated to be due to the interaction of these fields with
the control mechanisms for blood pressure and thermoregulation [84]. However, although the exact underlying mechanism of
the association between EMFs exposure and HRV is unclear, the results of
the present meta-analysis and previous studies could be advisable to
suggest that excessive use of cell phones should be avoided to decrease
some signs and symptoms caused by HRV change, as a result of EMFs
exposure. More attention should also be paid to the young people
frequently exposed to EMFs due to using cell phones for a long time.
According to our results, EMF exposure might considerably affect the
autonomic balance and provoke adverse health effects. Therefore,
lifestyle modifications could be effective in decreasing the incidence
of cardiovascular diseases.
Some limitations exist in our meta-analysis. First, the few
case-control studies for each HRV indices affect our meta-analysis to
control before-and-after studies. Second, there were not enough studies
or adequate information in the results of some studies for other HRV
measurements; these HRV indices were not analyzed. Third, in addition to
a small number of studies in some groups, the groups participating in
the study may use other communication devices that emit EMF or have
different times of telephone conversations per day; more attention must
be paid with caution while interpreting the findings. Finally, in our
meta-analysis, studies that evaluated HRV in the electrohypersensitive
subjects were not included, which assessment of these studies is highly
recommended.
Conclusions
Our data indicated that EMF exposure could influence cardiac
sympathetic and parasympathetic indexes such as SDNN. Our findings could
support the hypothesis that exposure to RF EMFs emitted by RF fields
like cell phones may cause chronic stress and various psychiatric
disorders by influencing some time domain HRV indexes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37195230/
--
Electromagnetic
fields - do they pose a cardiovascular risk?
Parizek D, Visnovcova N, Hamza Sladicekova K, Misek J, Jakus J, Jakusova
J, Kohan M, Visnovcová Z, Ferencova N, Tonhajzerova I. Electromagnetic
fields - do they pose a cardiovascular risk? Physiol Res. 2023 Apr
30;72(2):199-208.
Abstract
Mobile wireless communication technologies have now become an
everyday part of our lives, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Monitoring
the autonomous system under exposition to electromagnetic fields may
play an important role in broading of our still limited knowledge on
their effect on human body. Thus, we studied the interaction of the high
frequency electromagnetic field (HF EMF) with living body and its
effect on the autonomic control of heart rate using Heart Rate
Variability (HRV) linear and nonlinear analyses in healthy volunteers. A
group of young healthy probands (n=30, age mean: 24.2 ± 3.5 years)
without any symptoms of disease was exposed to EMF with f=2400 MHz (Wi
Fi), and f=2600 MHz (4G) for 5 minutes applied on the chest area. The
short-term heart rate variability (HRV) metrics were used as an
indicator of complex cardiac autonomic control. The evaluated HRV
parameters: RR interval (ms), high frequency spectral power (HF-HRV in
[ln(ms2)]) as an index of cardiovagal control, and a symbolic dynamic
index of 0V %, indicating cardiac sympathetic activity. The
cardiac-linked parasympathetic index HF-HRV was significantly reduced (p
=0.036) and sympathetically mediated HRV index 0V % was significantly
higher (p=0.002) during EMF exposure at 2400 MHz (Wi-Fi), compared to
simulated 4G frequency 2600 MHz. No significant differences were found
in the RR intervals. Our results revealed a shift in cardiac autonomic
regulation towards sympathetic overactivity and parasympathetic
underactivity indexed by HRV parameters during EMF exposure in young
healthy persons. It seems that HF EMF exposure results in abnormal
complex cardiac autonomic regulatory integrity which may be associated
with higher risk of later cardiovascular complications already in
healthy probands.
Conclusions
Our study revealed discrete abnormalities of complex cardiac autonomic regulation indexed by HRV measures dependent on the effects of 4G and Wi-Fi networks. It seems that direct exposure to high radiofrequency EMF may be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular complications already in healthy youth. However, the results need to be validated in a future study on a larger number of young probands under the same conditions.
Open access paper:
http://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/pdf/72/72_199.pdf
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Exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields and their impacts on children's health – What the science knows?
Lim H, Choi J, Joo H, Ha M. Exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields and their impacts on children's health – What the science knows?,
Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. Volume 32, 2023, 100456. doi: 10.1016/j.coesh.2023.100456.
Highlights
- • We mainly reviewed epidemiological studies of the health effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on children.
- • We could not find a consistent health effect of children in association with the exposure.
- • The qualities of the epidemiological studies are mostly low to moderate levels in the risk-of-bias assessment.
- • The current studies do not provide sufficient evidence to determine the adverse effects.
- • Improved exposure assessment, causal study design and analytical models are needed for high-quality scientific evidence.
Abstract
The possible health effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on children have become a public concern due to biological vulnerability of developing children. To evaluate the evidence for possible adverse health effects on children, we systematically reviewed epidemiological studies, and briefly reviewed the experimental animal or mechanistic studies. Using a search strategy and risk-of-bias assessment, we summarized the existing data on cancer, birth outcome, neurocognitive development, and behavioral problems. There was no sufficient evidence to
determine the adverse effects. Recent large-scale animal studies have
shown carcinogenic findings, but the biological mechanism has not yet
been elucidated. A well-designed future study is needed to produce high-quality scientific evidence of the possible harmful effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation exposure in children.
Excerpts
We systematically reviewed 49 epidemiological studies and briefly reviewed an additional 5 epidemiological and 15 animal and mechanistic studies. There was less evidence for the prenatal exposure effects on neurocognitive development while more evidence was reported on behavioral problems. Postnatal exposure than prenatal showed more evidence for effects both on neurocognition or behavior. Fetal exposure did not show a definite effect on birth outcomes. Far- or near-field exposure to RF showed no evidence for carcinogenic effect on children.
However, the effect of postnatal exposure on the neurocognition and behavior of children should be cautiously interpreted due to
the possibility of reverse causality. Behavioral characteristics may
associate with the usage of mobile phones or any other IT devices.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation and depressive moods by mobile phone usage in children may be another pathway to resulting behavioral problems.
Of
several birth outcomes, shortened pregnancy duration was significantly
associated with increased maternal mobile phone use. However, this
finding should be interpreted with caution owing to the difficulties in disentangling the effects of RF-EMF exposure and
maternal physical activity/behavioral factors, such as child-raising
characteristics, caused by mobile phone usage. The same caution also
should be applied to the results indicating an effect of prenatal exposure on the neurocognitive development and behavior of children. We did not find clear evidence to determine whether RF-EMF exposure affects children’s health outcomes. The quality of the epidemiological studies is mostly low to moderate, and the direction and size of effect estimates are inconsistent.
We found that few studies have been assessed as high quality (low RoB) (Table 1). This is mostly due to
the exposure assessment (Table S4). RF-EMF exposure has been assessed
using proxy exposure variables for the use of electronic devices, mainly
mobile phone use, or distance from mobile communication base stations.
This type of exposure assessment may cause a nondifferential
misclassification which leads the association toward the null.
Despite
the remaining ambiguity of the biological mechanism, recent animal
studies showing consistent carcinogenic findings have driven more
epidemiological studies, repetition of animal studies, and mechanistic studies, with higher levels of quality....
Conclusions The current studies examining the possible association between RF-EMF exposure and children’s health do not provide conclusive evidence. The results should be interpreted with caution due to the possibility of reverse causality, confounding or mediation of behavioral/environmental factors, and exposure misclassification.
Above all, in the epidemiological research, the accuracy of personal RF-EMF exposure assessment needs to be improved. A recent systematic review on the health effects of RF-EMFexposure in children and
adolescents also recommended high-quality research [76]. Furthermore,
advanced study design or analysis method that mimic a counter-factual
model or randomization and strengthen causal inference, such as instrumental variable analysis, difference-in-differences analysis, and causal mediation analysis, are warranted.
Moreover,
we suggest designing a census-based cohort that incorporates data from
telecommunication operators. This would be relatively free from the
recall and measurement biases of exposure, and
exposure history can be profiled in detail. A sufficient statistical
power with a large sample size would reveal the relatively small effect
of RF-EMF from other competing risk factors, and be effective in the modeling to
control confounding or modifying factors, such as restriction or
stratified analysis. With the ongoing development of next-generation
mobile communication, RF-EMF exposure is expected to increase in the general population. A well-designed future study is needed to produce high-quality scientific evidence of the possible harmful effects of RF-EMF exposure in children.
--
Electromagnetic fields exposure on fetal and childhood
abnormalities: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Kashani ZA, Pakzad R, Fakari FR, Haghparast MS, Abdi F, Kiani Z, Talebi
A, Haghgoo SM. Electromagnetic fields exposure on fetal and childhood
abnormalities: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Med (Wars).
2023 May 12;18(1):20230697. doi: 10.1515/med-2023-0697.
Abstract
Today, in the modern world, people are often exposed to electromagnetic
waves, which can have undesirable effects on cell components that lead
to differentiation and abnormalities in cell proliferation,
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, chromosomal abnormalities, cancers,
and birth defects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of
electromagnetic waves on fetal and childhood abnormalities. PubMed,
Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar
were searched on 1 January 2023. The Cochran's Q-test and I 2
statistics were applied to assess heterogeneity, a random-effects model
was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR), standardized mean
difference (SMD), and mean difference for different outcomes, and a
meta-regression method was utilized to investigate the factors affecting
heterogeneity between studies. A total of 14 studies were included in
the analysis, and the outcomes investigated were: change in gene
expression, oxidant parameters, antioxidant parameters, and DNA damage
parameters in the umbilical cord blood of the fetus and fetal
developmental disorders, cancers, and childhood development disorders.
Totally, the events of fetal and childhood abnormalities were more
common in parents who have been exposed to EMFs compared to those who
have not (SMD and 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.25 [0.15-0.35]; I 2, 91%). Moreover, fetal developmental disorders (OR, 1.34; CI, 1.17-1.52; I 2, 0%); cancer (OR, 1.14; CI, 1.05-1.23; I 2, 60.1%); childhood development disorders (OR, 2.10; CI, 1.00-3.21; I 2, 0%); changes in gene expression (mean difference [MD], 1.02; CI, 0.67-1.37; I 2, 93%); oxidant parameters (MD, 0.94; CI, 0.70-1.18; I 2, 61.3%); and DNA damage parameters (MD, 1.01; CI, 0.17-1.86; I 2,
91.6%) in parents who have been exposed to EMFs were more than those in
parents who have not. According to meta-regression, publication year
has a significant effect on heterogeneity (coefficient: 0.033;
0.009-0.057). Maternal exposure to electromagnetic fields, especially in
the first trimester of pregnancy, due to the high level of stem cells
and their high sensitivity to this radiation, the biochemical parameters
of the umbilical cord blood examined was shown increased oxidative
stress reactions, changes in protein gene expression, DNA damage, and
increased embryonic abnormalities. In addition, parental exposure to
ionizing and non-ionizing radiation can lead to the enhancement of
different cell-based cancers and developmental disorders such as speech
problems in childhood.
--
Electronic device and social network use and sleep
outcomes among adolescents: the EHDLA study
Gaya AR, Brum R, Brites K, Gaya A, de Borba Schneiders L, Duarte Junior
MA, López-Gil JF. Electronic device and social network use and sleep
outcomes among adolescents: the EHDLA study. BMC Public Health. 2023 May
19;23(1):919. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15579-x.
Abstract
Background: Considering the evident risk in the literature between the use of screen devices and sleep, there are still few studies on the relationship between each electronic screen device, media programs and sleep duration and sleep-related problems among adolescents and which variables interfere in these relationships. Therefore, this study has the following objectives: (1) to determine which are the most common electronic display devices related to sleep time and outcomes and (2) to determine which are the most common social network applications, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, associated with sleep outcomes.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 1101 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 17 years old. Age, sex, sleep, psychosocial health, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), sport practice, and time spent on screen devices were assessed by an ad hoc questionnaire. Linear regression analyses were applied, adjusting for several covariables. Poisson regression was applied between the sexes. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Cell phone use was more associated with sleep time (13%). In boys, time spent on cell phones (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.09; p < 0.001) and videogames (PR = 1.08; p = 0.005) had a higher prevalence ratio. When psychosocial health was included in the models, we found the greatest association (Model 2: PR = 1.15; p = 0.007). For girls, time spent on the cell phone was significantly associated with sleep-related problems (PR = 1.12; p < 0.001), and adherence to the MD became the second most important in the model (PR = 1.35; p < 0.001), followed by psychosocial health and cell phone use (PR = 1.24; p = 0.007). Time spent on WhatsApp was associated with sleep-related problems only among girls (PR = 1.31; p = 0.001) and was the most important variable in the model along with MD (PR = 1.26; p = 0.005) and psychosocial health (PR = 1.41; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Our results suggest a relationship between cell phones, video games, and social networks with sleep-related problems and time.
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Influence of
electromagnetic fields on the circadian rhythm: Implications for human
health and disease
Martel J, Chang SH, Chevalier G, Ojcius DM, Young JD. Influence of
electromagnetic fields on the circadian rhythm: Implications for human
health and disease. Biomed J. 2023;46(1):48-59. doi:
10.1016/j.bj.2023.01.003.
Highlights
- The earth's natural electromagnetic fields influence the circadian rhythm in humans.
- Sunspots and seasonal weakening of the geomagnetic field can affect human health.
- Seasonal geomagnetic field weakening increases infectious and chronic diseases.
- Electromagnetic pollution from wireless devices can also affect circadian rhythms.
- Grounding and reduction of electromagnetic pollution can produce health benefits.
Abstract
Living organisms have evolved within the natural electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of the earth which comprise the global atmospheric electrical circuit, Schumann resonances (SRs) and the geomagnetic field. Research suggests that the circadian rhythm, which controls several physiological functions in the human body, can be influenced by light but also by the earth's EMFs. Cyclic solar disturbances, including sunspots and seasonal weakening of the geomagnetic field, can affect human health, possibly by disrupting the circadian rhythm and downstream physiological functions. Severe disruption of the circadian rhythm increases inflammation which can induce fatigue, fever and flu-like symptoms in a fraction of the population and worsen existing symptoms in old and diseased individuals, leading to periodic spikes of infectious and chronic diseases. Possible mechanisms underlying sensing of the earth's EMFs involve entrainment via electrons and electromagnetic waves, light-dependent radical pair formation in retina cryptochromes, and paramagnetic magnetite nanoparticles. Factors such as electromagnetic pollution from wireless devices, base antennas and low orbit internet satellites, shielding by non-conductive materials used in shoes and buildings, and local geomagnetic anomalies may also affect sensing of the earth's EMFs by the human body and contribute to circadian rhythm disruption and disease development.
Open access paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417023000033?via%3Dihub
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Electromagnetic field exposure to human head model
with various metal objects at sub-6 GHz frequencies
İl N, Ateş K, Özen Ş. Electromagnetic field exposure to human head model
with various metal objects at sub-6 GHz frequencies. Electromagn Biol
Med. 2023 Jun 4:1-9. doi: 10.1080/15368378.2023.2220736.
Abstract
In recent years, the interactions of metal objects in human body
with electromagnetic fields caused by devices working at
fifth-generation (5G) frequencies have been studied by various
researchers. A motivation behind this research was to evaluate the human
body absorption of electromagnetic energy operating at sub-6 GHz 5G
applications. According to this, the specific absorption rate (SAR)
caused by new generation mobile phones was investigated in human heads
wearing metal-framed spectacles and having metallic implants or earrings
to analyse electromagnetic field exposure. A realistic human head
model, including some metal objects, was numerically calculated, and
analysed in terms of non-ionizing dosimetry. Simulations were carried
out with the finite integration technique (FIT) based commercial
software in the frequencies of 0.9, 1.8, 2.1, 2.45, 3.5 and 5 GHz,
respectively. The maximum SAR of 14 × 10-5 W/kg for 10 g
average tissue was calculated at 2.45 GHz frequency in the head model
with earrings. The highest electric field strength of 0.52 V/m was
observed at a 1.8 GHz frequency in the head model with all metal objects
equipped. Results show that metal objects such as spectacles, dental
implants and earrings can cause an increase in the SAR values for
external biological tissues, and metal objects can behave as a kind of
shield for deeper tissues. However, the obtained values are below the
limits of international organisations.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37270798/
--
A mathematical model and experimental
procedure to analyze the cognitive effects of audio frequency magnetic
fields
Navarro EA, Navarro-Modesto E. A mathematical model and experimental
procedure to analyze the cognitive effects of audio frequency magnetic
fields. Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 May 12;17:1135511. doi:
10.3389/fnhum.2023.1135511.
Audio frequency magnetic fields (20 Hz-20 kHz) are magnetic fields in
extremely low frequency-very low frequency (ELF-VLF) bands that are
present near audio equipment and acoustic transducers. These devices
transform and operate the electrical signal from the recordings or other
devices into acoustic and audio signals. The cognitive influence of
sound and noise has been widely studied and recognized since the times
of ancient Rome; however, the cognitive effects of the magnetic fields
of these frequencies have not been studied. Due to the extensive use of
audio devices that use this type of transducer near the
temporal-parietal area, we believe that it is of interest to study their
impact on short-term memory or working memory (WM) and to analyze their
potential as they operate as a transcranial magnetic stimulation. In
this study, a mathematical model and an experimental tool are introduced
to analyze memory performance. The model dissociates the reaction time
of a cognitive task. We analyze the model in data from a group of 65
young, healthy subjects. WM is assessed in our experimental setup by
means of the Sternberg test (ST), whereby during the ST, one subgroup
was exposed to an audio frequency magnetic stimulus, and the other
subgroup received a sham stimulus. The magnetic stimulus was ~0.1 μT and
was applied to both sides of the head at the frontal cortex near the
temporal-parietal area, which is where WM is expected to be located. The
ST records reaction times when determining whether an object displayed
on the computer screen is one of the objects to be remembered. The
results are analyzed within the mathematical model and changes are
observed, including the deterioration of WM, which could affect 32% of
its operability.
Conclusion
In
this article, we have presented a mathematical model and an
experimental procedure to study cognitive effects on WM. The model
distinguishes between the effects on peripheral activity and cognitive
activity in the brain. This model is simple and applicable to the
non-invasive study of cognitive impairment under the action of stimuli
of different origins. This procedure has been applied to the study of
the effects of audio frequency magnetic stimulus on the area of the
brain that supports WM. The procedure has been applied to a homogeneous
set of 65 young, healthy subjects, i.e., undergraduate students. Tests
performed with exposed and non-exposed groups have been analyzed and
show statistically significant differences in response times that can be
separated according to the mathematical model. The differences show a
small reduction in the time spent in response selection, preparation,
and execution of 15 ms over 428 ms (1.5%), the effect of which could
resemble the activation of an alert situation. However, exposure results
in 32% longer delays in memory search than in the case of non-exposure.
These results indicate that exposure to magnetic fields in the audio
frequency band could produce significant cognitive impairment in the
young population. Finally, we believe that eddy currents play a
plausible role in the biophysical mechanism of action that could be
related to some physical stimulus or tissue micro heating.
Open access paper:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10218710/
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Human Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation
from Indoor Distributed Antenna System: Shopping Mall Measurement
Analysis
da L. A. Silva J, de Sousa VA Jr., Rodrigues MEC, Pinheiro FSR, da Silva
GS, Mendonça HB, de F. H. Silva RQ, da Silva JVL, Galdino FES, de
Carvalho VFC, Medeiros LIC.
Human Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation
from Indoor Distributed Antenna System: Shopping Mall Measurement
Analysis.
Sensors. 2023; 23(10):4579.
https://doi.org/10.3390/s23104579
Abstract
It is crucial to monitor the levels of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) to
which the general population may be exposed and compare them to the
limits defined in the current standards, in view of the rapid rise of
communication services and the prospects of a connected society. A high
number of people visits shopping malls and since these locations usually
have several indoor antennas close to the public, it is therefore a
kind of place that must be evaluated. Thus, this work presents
measurements of the electric field in a shopping mall located in Natal,
Brazil. We proposed a set of six measurement points, following two
criteria: places with great the flow of people and the presence of one
or more Distributed Antenna System (DAS), co-sited or not with WiFi
access points. Results are presented and discussed in terms of the
distance to DAS (conditions: near and far) and flow density of people in
the mall (scenarios: low and high number of people). The highest peaks
of electric field measured were 1.96 and 3.26 V/m, respectively
corresponding to 5% and 8% of the limits defined by the International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the
Brazilian National Telecommunication Agency (ANATEL).
Conclusions
This work aimed to evaluate the levels of exposure to NIR in shopping malls, considering the few scientific publications in this scenario and being aware of the importance of this study, especially regarding the high circulation of people in these environments and the large number of antennas relatively close to the public.
The measurements carried out showed that the electric fields were significantly below the limits established by ANATEL and ICNIRP. For the target frequency bands in this work, the highest average and peak electric fields were less than 8% of the limit, with values of 1.96 and 3.26 V/m, respectively. Both results correspond to the P3L2 place, characterized by having the largest number of DAS antennas together.
When comparing the change in antenna distance condition for a given number of people scenario, we also verified the strong influence of the number of nearby antennas. Places P2L1, P1L2, and P3L2 have at least two DAS antennas and/or a nearby WiFi antenna, and their measurements showed significant changes between the near and far conditions. Furthermore, these places presented the highest overall levels of exposure to NIR.
By grouping measured data corresponding to the same distance condition, we could observe the influence of the number of people on the exposure levels. The highest electric field values were verified at times when the mall was most crowded, as in [15].
Based on the results, the influence of the antenna distance and the concentration of people in the mall on the electric field levels was noted, but in none of the situations did the exposure levels rise above the safe limits established by ICNIRP and ANATEL. However, since there is not a global conclusion, neither from the academic community nor from the World Health Organization (WHO), on the harmful effects of NIR on human health, prevention is always necessary. Thus, besides the general population being oriented to a moderate use of mobile phones, the importance of an adequate project for the distribution of antennas in malls to avoid the intensification of NIR levels caused by the concentration of antennas is verified, mainly in places where the public stays for a long time.
Open access paper:
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4579
--
Radiofrequency personal exposimetry
during outdoor entertainment of young adults: a case study
Vecsei Z, Szilágyi Z, Thuróczy G. Radiofrequency personal exposimetry
during outdoor entertainment of young adults: a case study. Radiat Prot
Dosimetry. 2023 May 24;199(8-9):865-871. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncad087.
Abstract
Radiofrequency (RF) exposure has grown substantially over time in the
public area. Personal dosimetry measurements are intended to estimate
how human RF exposure relates to exposure limits that do not pose a
health risk. For our case study, an outdoor festival was chosen to
assess realistic RF exposure of young adults during their entertainment.
Band-selective RF exposure-sorted along 2G-4G uplinks and downlinks, 5G
and Wi-Fi bands-was evaluated. Electric field strength data subsets
were classified on the basis of activities as well as crowd density. 2G
contributed the most to the overall RF exposure. Highest RF exposure was
associated with attendance in a concert. In moderately crowded
situations, RF exposure was higher than in the most crowded ones.
However, the total measured electric field values were higher than in
other outdoor environment, but still far below the national and
international directives of regulatory RF-EMF exposure limits.
Excerpt
Of the activities, participation in a concert was associated with the highest RF exposure. The highest exposure levels according to density were found in the
medium group. The explanation for that moderately dense situations showed higher RF exposure than crowded ones might be the potential lower RF shadowing compared with the high-density situations (Figure 4). The mean exposure level from UL
(uplink) connection is much lower than DL
(downlink) communications. The reason may be the different time slots between the above-mentioned two operation modes. However, when measuring UL, the proximity of the human body to the mobile phone and exposure to near-field conditions can significantly influence the results. The exposure during the resting activity shows the typical public exposure in outdoor urban situations
(1, 11, 12).
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Effects of 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz
radiofrequency field exposures on HSF1, RAS, ERK, and PML activation in
live fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells
Joushomme A, Orlacchio R, Patrignoni L, Canovi A, Chappe YL, Poulletier
De Gannes F, Hurtier A, Garenne A, Lagroye I, Moisan F, Cario M, Lévêque
P, Arnaud-Cormos D, Percherancier Y. Effects of 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz
radiofrequency field exposures on HSF1, RAS, ERK, and PML activation in
live fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells. Sci Rep. 2023 May
23;13(1):8305. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-35397-w.
Abstract
The potential health risks of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic
fields from mobile communications technologies have raised societal
concerns. Guidelines have been set to protect the population (e.g.
non-specific heating above 1 °C under exposure to radiofrequency
fields), but questions remain regarding the potential biological effects
of non-thermal exposures. With the advent of the fifth generation (5G)
of mobile communication, assessing whether exposure to this new signal
induces a cellular stress response is one of the mandatory steps on the
roadmap for a safe deployment and health risk evaluation. Using the BRET
(Bioluminescence Resonance Energy-Transfer) technique, we assessed
whether continuous or intermittent (5 min ON/ 10 min OFF) exposure of
live human keratinocytes and fibroblasts cells to 5G 3.5 GHz signals at
specific absorption rate (SAR) up to 4 W/kg for 24 h impact basal or
chemically-induced activity of Heat Shock Factor (HSF), RAt Sarcoma
virus (RAS) and Extracellular signal-Regulated Kinases (ERK) kinases,
and Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein (PML), that are all molecular
pathways involved in environmental cell-stress responses. The main
results are (i), a decrease of the HSF1 basal BRET signal when
fibroblasts cells were exposed at the lower SARs tested (0.25 and 1
W/kg), but not at the highest one (4 W/kg), and (ii) a slight decrease
of As2O3 maximal efficacy to trigger PML
SUMOylation when fibroblasts cells, but not keratinocytes, were
continuously exposed to the 5G RF-EMF signal. Nevertheless, given the
inconsistency of these effects in terms of impacted cell type, effective
SAR, exposure mode, and molecular cell stress response, we concluded
that our study show no conclusive evidence that molecular effects can
arise when skin cells are exposed to the 5G RF-EMF alone or with a
chemical stressor.
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Measuring EMF and Throughput Before and After 5G Service Activation in a Residential Area
Chiaraviglio L,
Bartoletti S, Blefari-Melazzi N, Lodovisi C, Moretti A, Zampognaro F, Alouini M-S. Measuring EMF and Throughput Before and After 5G Service Activation in a Residential Area. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, doi: 10.1109/OJCOMS.2023.3277782.
Abstract
The deployment of 5G networks is approaching a mature phase in many
countries across the world. However, little efforts have been done so
far to scientifically compare ElectroMagnetic Field (EMF) exposure and
traffic levels before and after the activation of 5G service over the
territory. The goal of this work is to provide a sound comparative
assessment of exposure and traffic, by performing repeated measurements
before and after 5G provisioning service. Our solution is based on an
EMF meter and a spectrum analyzer that is remotely controlled by a
measurement algorithm. In this way, we dissect the contribution of each
pre-5G and 5G band radiating over the territory. In addition, we employ a
traffic chain to precisely characterize the achieved throughput levels.
Results, derived from a set of measurements performed on a commercial
deployment, reveal that the provisioning of 5G service over mid-band
frequencies has a limited impact on the exposure. In parallel, the
measured traffic is more than doubled when 5G is activated over
mid-bands, reaching levels above 200 Mbps. On the other hand, the
provisioning of 5G over sub-GHz bands does not introduce a substantial
increase in the traffic levels. Eventually, we demonstrate that EMF
exposure is impacted by the raw-land reconfiguration to host the 5G
panels, which introduces changes in the sight conditions and in the
power received from the main lobes.
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How 5G NR
Signals Impact on the Response of Broadband Electric Field Probes
Adda S, Anglesio L, Bogo F, Pasquino N, Trinchero S. How 5G NR
Signals Impact on the Response of Broadband Electric Field Probes. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 72, pp. 1-8, 2023, Art no. 8000208, doi: 10.1109/TIM.2022.3227979.
Abstract
New-generation mobile communication systems like long term evolution
(LTE) and 5G new radio (NR) use digitally modulated signals with
relevant peak-to-average power ratios that may shift the working point
of diode-based wideband electric field probes, resulting in an
overestimation of the field strength. This article presents a
methodology to study the behavior of probes by comparing the readings of
5G signals to those obtained under continuous wave (CW) radiation.
Dependence on various signal parameters like center frequency,
modulation complexity, time/frequency duplex configuration, signal
bandwidth, and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)
subcarrier spacing has been assessed experimentally by making use of
test models designed by 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP).
Results show that overestimation can be as large as several tens of
percent and that it is greater for full-frame and larger bandwidth
signals and that, therefore, calibration standards must be extended to
consider the different behavior of probes with 5G and CW signals.
Conclusion
Diode-loaded electric field probes have been exposed to 5G signals to investigate the different behavior compared to continuous waves, in terms of under- or over-estimation. Test signals based on models suggested by ETSI have been used to assess the impact of signal center frequency, frame occupation, bandwidth, modulation, duplex configuration, and subcarrier spacing. Results show that, due to the high crest factor of 5G signals, probes tend to overestimate amplitude when exposed to high test fields, because the diode overcomes the quadratic region and responds to the peak strength rather than to the rms value of the incident field. A possible solution would be to adopt a variable attenuator at the diode’s input that keeps the working point within the quadratic region.
The analysis of the overestimation factor K shows that overestimation can be as large as several tens of percent and that it spans from 1.07 to 1.225 at 3700 MHz with TDD configuration and μ=1 , being greater for full-frame and larger bandwidth signals. Experimental results prove that diode-based sensor probes should be used with caution when electromagnetic fields of expected strengths larger than 6 V/m are measured, to avoid that, due to overestimation, they return a measurement that shows not compliant with exposure limits.
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Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic
Field Sensors
Deprez K, Colussi L, Korkmaz E, Aerts S, Land D, Littel S, Verloock L,
Plets D, Joseph W, Bolte J. Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic
Field Sensors. Sensors. 2023; 23(6):3312. doi:10.3390/s23063312.
Abstract
This paper compares different low-cost sensors that can measure (5G)
RF-EMF exposure. The sensors are either commercially available
(off-the-shelf Software Defined Radio (SDR) Adalm Pluto) or constructed
by a research institution (i.e., imec-WAVES, Ghent University and Smart
Sensor Systems research group (S³R), The Hague University of Applied
Sciences). Both in-lab (GTEM cell) and in-situ measurements have been
performed for this comparison. The in-lab measurements tested the
linearity and sensitivity, which can then be used to calibrate the
sensors. The in-situ testing confirmed that the low-cost hardware
sensors and SDR can be used to assess the RF-EMF radiation. The
variability between the sensors was 1.78 dB on average, with a maximum
deviation of 5.26 dB. Values between 0.09 V/m and 2.44 V/m were obtained
at a distance of about 50 m from the base station. These devices can be
used to provide the general public and governments with temporal and
spatial 5G electromagnetic field values.
Conclusions and Future Work
This study compared low-cost hardware sensors and
SDR sensors with expensive verified measurement setups consisting of
spectrum analyzer equipment for RF-EMF radiation. Both in-lab (GTEM
cell) and in-situ measurements have been performed for this comparison.
The in-lab testing showed the importance of selecting the correct
components for the hardware sensors to ensure shielding from crosstalk.
Furthermore, an in-lab calibration must be performed to guarantee an
accurate response to real-life exposure.
The
in-situ testing confirmed that the low-cost hardware sensors and SDR can
be used to assess the RF-EMF radiation. Values between 0.09 V/m and
2.44 V/m were obtained at a distance of about 50 m from the base
station. The variability between the sensors was 1.78 dB on average,
with a maximum deviation of 5.26 dB. However, it must be kept in mind
that these RF-EMF sensors only measured one vector component (purpose of
temporal monitoring) of the field, and therefore, the given field will
be an underestimation of the total field at that measurement location.
These
devices can be used to provide the general public and governments only
temporal and spatial 5G field behavior values. These data can then be
combined with more accurate measurement systems to create highly
accurate spatial-temporal EMF radiation maps.
Future
research on these sensors entails including the maximum measurable
field level to verify the extendibility of the conclusions presented in
this paper in case of high EMFs. In addition, new tri-axial sensors must
be constructed which can measure all three vector components. In
addition, mm-waves hardware sensors must be made to cover all 5G NR
frequencies (FR2). Furthermore, the current sensors could be
recalibrated so that their response is mapped to tri-axial measurement
devices.
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Interaction of selected parts of the human body with radio
frequency fields
B. Dolnik, E. Dolníková, E. Lumnitzer, E. Jurgovská, P. Liptai and L.
Šárpataky. Interaction of selected parts of the human body with radio
frequency fields. 2023 33rd International Conference Radioelektronika (RADIOELEKTRONIKA), Pardubice, Czech Republic, 2023, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/RADIOELEKTRONIKA57919.2023.10109067.
Abstract
The issue of how electromagnetic waves interact with living organisms
becomes increasingly critical with communication tools expansion that
operates in the microwave region. This article deals with the human
attenuation of microwaves in the 800 MHz to 6 GHz band. Experimental
attenuation measurements focus on specific parts of the males aged 26 to
28: head, chest, and belly. Through measurements, we have confirmed
that the attenuation of selected human body parts is from 4 dB to 23 dB.
We found that the head, chest, and belly absorb electromagnetic waves
differently. The chest absorbs electromagnetic waves the most and the
head the least. Belly attenuation is in between head and chest
attenuation. The measured data can serve as a basis for investigating
the impact of microwaves on living organisms and for investigating
microwave attenuation by human subjects in specific spaces.
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Immunomodulatory role of non-ionizing electromagnetic
radiation in human leukemia monocytic cell line
Yadav H, Singh R. Immunomodulatory role of non-ionizing electromagnetic
radiation in human leukemia monocytic cell line. Environ Pollut. 2023
May 17;331(Pt 2):121843. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121843.
Abstract
In daily life, people are usually exposed to radiofrequency radiations
(RFR). The effects of RFR on human physiology have been a major source
of controversy since the WHO declared that these radiations are a type
of environmental energy that interacts with the physiological
functioning of the human body. The immune system provides internal
protection and promotes long-term health and survival. However, the
relevant research on the innate immune system and radiofrequency
radiation is scant. In this connection, we hypothesized that innate
immune responses would be influenced by exposure to non-ionizing
electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones in a cell-specific and
time-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, human leukemia monocytic
cell lines were exposed to 2318 MHz (MHz) RFR emitted by mobile phones
at a power density of 0.224 W/m2 in a controlled manner for
various time durations (15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min). Systematic
studies on cell viability, nitric oxide (NO), superoxide (SO),
pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and phagocytic assays were
performed after the irradiation. The duration of exposure seems to have a
substantial influence on the RFR-induced effects. It was noticed that
after 30 min of exposure, the RFR dramatically enhanced the
pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1α level as well as reactive species such
as NO and SO generation as compared to the control. In contrast, the RFR
dramatically reduced the phagocytic activity of monocytes during 60 min
of treatment when compared to the control. Interestingly, the
irradiated cells restored their normal functioning until the final
120-min of exposure. Furthermore, mobile phone exposure had no influence
on cell viability or TNF-α level. The results showed that RFR exhibits a
time-dependent immune-modulatory role in the human leukemia monocytic
cell line. Nevertheless, more research is needed to further determine
the long-term effects and precise mechanism of action of RFR.
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Effects of Artificial Electromagnetic Fields on Bees: A Global Review
Reategui-Inga M, Rojas EM, Tineo D,
Araníbar-Araníbar MJ, Valdiviezo WA, Escalante CA, Ruiz Castre SJ.
Effects of Artificial Electromagnetic Fields on Bees: A Global Review.
Pak J Biol Sci. 2023 Jan;26(1):23-32. doi: 10.3923/pjbs.2023.23.32.
Abstract
Background and Objective: Electromagnetic fields
coming from electric and electronic devices, mobile telephony antennas,
or electrical installations are continuously growing and are in direct
relation with population growth. In that sense, the purpose of this
investigation was to determine what are the effects of artificial
electromagnetic fields on the behavior and viability of bees through a
global perspective (1968-2022).
Materials and
Methods: The methodology used in this research
consisted of the review of literature obtained from platforms such as
Scopus, EBSCO, IEEE, Wiley, Google Scholar and Taylor & Francis.
Results: It was possible to review 36
studies on the field and to state that investigations on this topic
have increased in 2019, at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of
6.86% (in a period of 54 years). Poland and USA are the leading
countries in the number and importance of investigations on this topic.
Keywords were grouped on the basis of the advancement of the research
(honeybee, animals, Apis mellifera;
and apoideos).
Conclusion: The study
of the effects of electromagnetic fields on bees makes it possible to
understand its impact on the metabolism and viability of bees.
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Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees
Molina-Montenegro
MA, Acuna-Rodriguez AS, Ballesteros GI, Baldelomar M, Torres-Diaz C,
Broitman BR, Vazquez DP. Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination
service by honeybees. Sci. Adv. 9, eadh1455 (2023).
doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh1455.
Abstract
We assessed the effect that electromagnetic field (EMF) exerts on
honeybees’ pollination efficiency using field and laboratory
experiments. First, we measured levels of gene and protein expression in
metabolic pathways involved in stress and behavioral responses elicited
by EMF. Second, we assessed the effect of EMF on honeybee behavior and
seed production by the honeybee-pollinated California poppy and, lastly,
by measuring the consequences of pollination failure on plants’
community richness and abundance. EMF exposure exerted strong
physiological stress on honeybees as shown by the enhanced expression of
heat-shock proteins and genes involved in antioxidant activity and
affected the expression levels of behavior-related genes. Moreover,
California poppy individuals growing near EMF received fewer honeybee
visits and produced fewer seeds than plants growing far from EMF. Last,
we found a hump-shaped relationship between EMF and plant species
richness and plant abundance. Our study provides conclusive evidence of
detrimental impacts of EMF on honeybee’s pollination behavior, leading
to negative effects on plant community.
Excerpts
...
In this study, we used a combination of observational field studies and
experimental manipulations using a purpose-built solenoid to simulate
and assess the impacts of EMF induced by six high-voltage towers on
honeybee’s physiology, behavior, and pollination service on the
self-incompatible herbaceous plant Eschscholzia californica (California
poppy) (Fig. 1A). The towers selected for this study were tall
structures (20 m of height), built mainly with steel and some parts of
copper, used to support a high-voltage overhead power line with an
energy box storer in the upper section of the tower. These devices
generate an EMF close to 10 μT, with a peak recorded between 12 and 17 m
from the base of the tower and at 25 to 30 cm of height, and decrease
to almost extinction at 200 m from the base of the tower (Fig. 1, B and
C)....
In summary, our findings support the notion that EMF can
have direct negative impacts on pollination service by honeybees, with
detrimental consequences on the seed output of insect-pollinated plant
species and indirect negative impacts on plant community (abundance and
richness) due to possible impairment in the pollination service required
by the plant community (40). We also highlight that the magnitude of
the impact of EMF on pollination service, at local scale, can be much
greater than previously thought. Honeybees use electric fields for
intraspecific (within hive) and interspecific (plant-pollinator)
communication (9) and are able to detect the anthropogenic EMF, and
their capacity for orientation, navigation, and foraging is being
impaired, which would ultimately affect their health and survival (9,
28, 45). Our study provides strong evidence of detrimental effects of
EMF on honeybee’s visitation and plant reproduction and may contribute
to explaining, at least in part, the global pollination crisis that
risks the adequate production of many crops.
--
What evidence exists
on the impact of anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on
animals and plants in the environment: a systematic map
Karipidis K, Brzozek C, Mate R Bhatt CR, Loughran S, Wood AW. What evidence exists
on the impact of anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on
animals and plants in the environment: a systematic map.
Environ Evid 12, 9 (2023). doi: 10.1186/s13750-023-00304-3.
Abstract
Background Exposure
to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF), particularly from
telecommunications sources, is one of the most common and fastest
growing anthropogenic factors on the environment. In many countries,
humans are protected from harmful RF EMF exposure by safety standards
that are based on guidelines by the International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP guidelines are
based on knowledge of how RF EMF affects the human body, however, there
are currently no recognised international guidelines to specifically
protect animals and plants. Whether the ICNIRP guidelines for humans are
adequate to provide protection to the environment is a subject of
active debate. There is some public concern that new telecommunications
technologies, like the 5G mobile phone network may affect the natural
environment. This systematic map presents a searchable database of all
the available evidence on whether anthropogenic RF EMF has an effect on
plants and animals in the environment. The map also identifies gaps in
knowledge, recommends future research and informs environmental and
radiation protection authorities.
Methods The
method used was published in an a priori protocol. Searches included
peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English with no time and
geographic restrictions. The EMF-Portal, PubMed and Web of Science
databases were searched, and the resulting articles were screened in
three stages: title, abstract and full text. Studies were included with a
subject population of all animals and plants, with exposures to
anthropogenic RF EMF (frequency range 100 kHz–300 GHz) compared to no or
lower-level exposure, and for any outcomes related to the studied
populations. For each included study, metadata were extracted on key
variables of interest that were used to represent the distribution of
available evidence.
Review findings The
initial search, search update and supplementary searches produced
24,432 articles and of those 334 articles (237 on fauna and 97 on flora)
that were relevant were included in the systematic map. The vast
majority of studies were experiments conducted in a laboratory rather
than observational studies of animals and plants in the natural
environment. The majority of the studies investigated exposures with
frequencies between 300 and 3000 MHz, and although the exposure level
varied, it was mainly low and below the ICNIRP limits. Most of the
animal studies investigated insects and birds, whereas grains and
legumes were the most investigated plants. Reproduction, development and
behaviour were the most investigated effects for animals, and
germination and growth for plants. The vast majority of the studies
employed poor quality methods.
Conclusion There
are distinct evidence clusters: for fauna, on insect and bird
reproduction, development and behaviour; and for flora, grain and legume
germination and growth that would benefit from specific systematic
reviews. The systematic map also highlights the clear need for
investigating the effects of RF EMF on more species and more types of
effects, and for an improvement in the quality of all studies.
Excerpts
The quality scores given independently by two assessors for each study are provided in Additional file
6....There was large
agreement in the quality scores between the assessors (fauna r = 0.78,
p < 0.001; flora r = 0.77,
p < 0.001).
The majority of the studies were methodologically poor (59% fauna and
66% flora) and only a very small number of studies employed good quality
methods (6% fauna and 2% flora) (Fig.
12). The quality was similar between experimental and observational studies (Additional file
7a).
Most experimental studies employed a control/sham condition, especially
when investigating plants, but lacked in dosimetry and temperature
control and not many experimental studies used positive controls or
blinding (Additional file
7b).
The observational studies had varied quality in the following
methodological characteristics: (a) exposure assessment, (b) having an
appropriate comparison group and (c) using appropriate methods for
assessing the effect of interest. The observational studies were
particularly poor in assessing potential confounding factors and using a
follow up period.
.... In terms of the RF EMF exposure characteristics the biggest gap is
research at frequencies above 30 GHz as well the higher end of the
3–< 30 GHz band. This is because new telecommunications technologies
that use these higher frequencies, like the 5G mobile network, have only
recently been proliferated in the community. Future experimental
research would benefit from investigating impacts on animals and plants
at the specific frequency range of the 5G network in the range
26–28 GHz. Mobile communications beyond the 5G network plan to use
frequencies higher than 30 GHz so research across the millimetre wave
band is needed.
The majority of the studies in the systematic map
employed low quality methods in a number of methodological criteria.
Future experimental studies should improve the experimental design with
particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control as well as
including positive controls and blinding. Further, the conditions
applied in highly controlled experiments may not necessarily translate
into ecologically relevant effects. It is therefore also very important
to investigate the effects of RF EMF under real life conditions in the
natural environment. There is a limited number of observational studies
in the systematic map so more such studies are needed. Future
observational studies will need to fully address possible confounding
from other anthropogenic/environmental factors and use an adequate
follow up time in the design of the study. Improvements in assessing RF
EMF exposure in the environment, having an appropriate comparison group
and using appropriate methods for assessing the effect of interest are
also important methodological criteria that will need to be addressed by
future observational research.
--
A study protocol for investigating the effects of mobile
phone-originated electromagnetic waves on thyroid gland and thyroid
hormone activities in the brain
Zufry H, Rudijanto A, Soeatmadji DW et al.
A study protocol for investigating the effects of mobile
phone-originated electromagnetic waves on thyroid gland and thyroid
hormone activities in the brain [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with
reservations]. F1000Research 2023, 12:132. doi: /10.12688/f1000research.129735.2.
Abstract
With widespread users across the globe, topic on the impact of mobile
phone in particular regarding its electromagnetic wave radiation
deserves a priority. Carcinogenic effects of the electromagnetic wave
radiation have been suggested by multiple studies. Effects of the
radiation are to involve thermal and non-thermal pathways. Among human
organs, thyroid gland is susceptible to the radiation exposure due to
its location being superficial and close to the radiation transmitter.
Previous studies have indicated the correlation between the mobile phone
radiation and thyroid dysfunctions. However, a conclusion that the
electromagnetic wave radiation is the causative agent of the thyroid
dysfunctions has not been reached. Most of the study are unable to
remove the influence of the external electromagnetic wave radiation.
Hence, this study aimed to perform an investigation with true
experimental design using animal model in an anechoic chamber – an
isolated chamber which could minimize the electromagnetic wave noise
from the outside. In this article, we present the description of the
anechoic chamber along with the research protocols. Parameters affecting
the investigation, including signal frequencies inside the chamber and
specific absorption rate are also measured
--
Zebrafish Larval Melanophores Respond to Electromagnetic Fields
Exposure
Nassisi V, Mazzei A, Del Vecchio G, Calisi A, Velardi L, Alifano P,
Verri T. Zebrafish Larval Melanophores Respond to Electromagnetic Fields
Exposure. Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(8):4721.
https://doi"
RF Health Safety Limits and Recommendations
Lin JC. RF Health Safety Limits and Recommendations [Health Matters], IEEE Microwave Magazine, 24(6):18-77, June 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3255659.
Abstract
The rapid proliferation of cellular mobile telecommunication devices
and systems is raising public health concerns about the biological
effects and safety of RF radiation exposure. There is also concern about
the efficacy of promulgated health safety limits, rules, and
recommendations for the RF radiation used by these devices and systems.
This article reviews and discusses the U.S. Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) notices and rules, International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines, and International
Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES) standard for safety levels
with respect to human exposure to electric, magnetic, and
electromagnetic fields (EMFs). The recently revised RF exposure limits
are adjusted only for heating with RF radiation. These limits are
largely intended to restrict short-term heating by RF radiation that
raises tissue temperatures. They are narrow in scope and are not
applicable to long-term exposure at low levels. This review discusses
the assumptions underlying the standards and the outdated exposure
metrics employed, and concludes that the revised guidelines do not
adequately protect children, workers, or the public from exposure to RF
radiation or people with sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation from
wireless devices and systems. Furthermore, the review discusses
important animal data that the standards do not appear to take into
account. Moreover, for millimeter-wave radiation from 5G mobile
communications, there are no adequate human health effects studies in
the published literature. The conclusions by scientific organizations,
such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), that
diverge from these standards are also discussed. The review concludes
that many of the recommended limits are debatable and require more
scientific justification from the standpoint of safety and public health
protection.
Excerpts
A recent article challenged the health safety afforded by the current
exposure limits to RF radiation and called for an independent
evaluation of the scientific evidence [14].
It shows that the current exposure limits ignore hundreds of scientific
studies that document adverse health effects at exposures below the
threshold level claimed by these safety limits. It further contends that
the scientific evidence invalidates the health assumptions underlying
the promulgated RF exposure limits. Specifically, for frequencies below 6
GHz, a SAR value of 4 W/kg, spatially and temporally averaged over the
whole-body mass, was assumed as the effective threshold for adverse
biological effects in humans. The level was predicated on disruption of
operant-conditioned work schedules in a few trained rodents and
primates. Also, it assumed that a heat-production rate of 4 W/kg was
within the normal range of human thermoregulatory capacity. The
ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992 standards, and thus the FCC rules, ICES limits, and
ICNIRP guidelines, are introduced to prevent only adverse thermal
effects on the functioning of the human body. So, the SAR of 4 W/kg
remains as the basis for the revised ICNIRP and ICES RF exposure limits.
The
International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic
Fields article argued that the exposure limits, based on science from
the 1980s, before cellular mobile phones were ubiquitous, do not
adequately protect children, people with electromagnetic
hypersensitivity, industrial workers, and the public from unsafe
exposure to the RF radiation from cell phone and wireless devices and
systems. Furthermore, while the revised ICNIRP safety guideline and ICES
standard make recommendations to protect against adverse health effects
from exposure to RF radiation, in fact, the guidelines and standards
are based on controlling whole-body temperatures from increasing above
1 °C or local tissue temperatures to 5 °C for short-term exposures of 6
or 30 min (Table 1).
Contrary to persistent and recent concerns of inadequate health effect
studies involving RF radiation with complex novel modulations and pulse
sequences, especially about 5G, ICNIRP deleted its 1998 provision of
pulse exposure limits from the revised 2020 guidelines. Consequently,
there are no longer specific restrictions on pulse modulations of any
kind in ICNIRP 2020. Note that time-averaged SAR over a 6-min period is
inadequate to account for the unique characteristics of pulse
modulations or to capture the effects of pulse-modulated exposures,
including the microwave auditory effect that occurs without any
measurable temperature rise and at low levels of SAR [18], [19].
It is well known that the outcomes of experimental studies are affected
by differences in RF parameters and exposure conditions....
In conclusion, the revised RF exposure limits make allowances only to
worry about heat with RF radiation. These limits are devised for
restricting short-term heating by RF radiation and aim to prevent
increased tissue temperatures. Thus, they are not applicable to
long-term exposure at low levels. Instead of advances in science, they
are predicated on assumptions using outdated exposure metrics, thus
their ability to protect children, workers, and the public from exposure
to the RF radiation or people with sensitivity to electromagnetic
radiation from wireless devices and systems. Furthermore, the limits are
based on outdated information and circumvent important animal data.
These issues are even more relevant in the case of millimeter-wave
radiation from 5G mobile communications for which there are no adequate
health effects studies in the published literature. Finally, the
guidelines do not adequately address conclusions from scientific
organizations, such as the IARC. Thus, many of the recommended limits
are questionable from the standpoint of scientific justification for the
safety and public health protection.
--
Some
considerations on the challenges related to the use of the new ICNIRP
restrictions for human exposure to radiofrequency fields
Goiceanu C, Danulescu R, Danulescu E. Some considerations on the
challenges related to the use of the new ICNIRP restrictions for human
exposure to radiofrequency fields. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2023 May
24;199(8-9):818-825. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncad084.
ICNIRP 2020 guidelines for limiting exposure to radiofrequency fields replace the radiofrequency part of the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. Besides setting new restrictions that prevent thermal effect they also took over the 100 kHz to 10 MHz part of the ICNIRP 2010 guidelines for limiting exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields, which provides restrictions that prevent nerve stimulation effect. The latest guidelines brought many changes to the system of protection against exposure to radiofrequency fields starting with the physical quantities used to express restrictions and continuing with specific restrictions and new exposure metrics employed. For the first time, the case of brief local exposure to intense radiofrequency fields was accounted by ICNIRP for setting new types of exposure restrictions. All these changes led to more detailed and complex guidelines, but their provisions are more difficult to apply in practice. Our paper presents some of the challenges related to the use in practice of the new ICNIRP restrictions for human exposure to radiofrequency fields.
Excerpts
In the domain of radio frequencies, two established effects are taken
into account for setting exposure restrictions: thermal effect and nerve
stimulation effect. To protect against thermal effect, the 2020
guidelines set basic restrictions in terms of Specific Absorption Rate
(SAR) assessed as whole-body average (WBA), as well as local SAR in head
and torso or in limbs. At frequencies above 6 GHz, basic restrictions
were set for local absorbed power density (
Sab) to
account for heating localized at the surface of the body. These exposure
limits have the same values as those used in previous guidelines from
1998, except the local absorbed power density limit that restricts the
superficial heating at high frequencies. The new values of basic
restriction for power density of 100 W m
−2 for occupational exposure and of 20 W m
−2
for general public exposure are twice the limit values set by 1998
guidelines. However, the reader should keep in mind that the new
restrictions refer to absorbed power density, which is a measure of
exposure of the body, while the old restrictions from 1998 concern the
incident power density (
Sinc) which is a parameter
of the external field. The different values of the new basic
restrictions are due to the decreased averaging area from 20 to 4 cm
2
to match the face of the averaging volume (10 g) of SAR, and,
therefore, the new restrictions on power density provide a consistent
transition at 6 GHz
(8).
In addition to previous guidelines, the latest guidelines also included
new types of restrictions to protect against brief local exposure to
intense fields. For exposures lasting < 6 minutes, basic restrictions
in terms of local specific absorption (SA), and absorbed energy density
(Uab) were set. Moreover, the new guidelines also
take into account the nerve stimulation effect and therefore,
restrictions have been taken over from the ICNIRP 2010 guidelines on
low-frequency electric and magnetic fields. Basic restrictions for nerve
stimulation are expressed in terms of induced electric field strength
and limit values are provided for frequencies between 100 kHz and
10 MHz.
Conclusions
The new ICNIRP 2020 guidelines are more detailed
than previous guidelines and cover a wider range of exposure scenarios.
New physical quantities and new metrics are used for setting
restrictions on different types of exposure. Besides the whole-body
exposure, the new radiofrequency guidelines provide reference levels for
local exposure and brief intense local exposure. Although the
guidelines are more comprehensive, their provisions might confuse the
reader due to the complexity of changes, as well as the introduction of
some new concepts and quantities that represents a challenge for
practitioners who need to perform compliance evaluation.
Considering
the complexity and novelty of the new guidelines, training of personnel
involved in measurement of radiofrequency field levels and evaluating
compliance with exposure restrictions is needed. Besides additional
information and advice on exposure restrictions and quantities
expressing them, aspects related to practical determination of the new
quantities or the use of new metrics should be approached. Guidance is
needed on different technical issues as measurement of incident power
density, especially within the radiative near-field zone, as well as
averaging over 4 and 1-cm2 areas. For the determination of
the newly introduced quantity, the incident energy density,
clarification is needed on methods and equipment to use and how to
process the measurement data. Moreover, between 100 kHz and 10 MHz, two
sets of reference levels for both, electric and magnetic field strength,
one set for thermal effect and the other one for nerve stimulation
effect are provided and, consequently, guidance is necessary on the way
to apply them. As the authors emphasized, generally one of the two sets
of reference levels is more relevant for each electric or magnetic field
strength. Further clarification is needed on which of the two types of
reference level prevails and should be used when evaluating compliance
in real exposure scenarios.
The exact manner
of measuring or calculating the physical quantities expressing all
reference levels needs to be provided by relevant technical bodies.
Standardized procedures should also take into account the
characteristics of different types of sources and possible exposure
scenarios accounting for reasonable assumable intended use, as well as
for worst case exposure scenario. Moreover, manufacturers of measuring
equipment should develop appropriate equipment and probes for measuring
all physical quantities and cover all exposure metrics with the aim of
allowing evaluation of compliance with all reference levels provided by
the new guidelines.
To conclude, the amount
and the complexity of changes, as well as the novelty related to
concepts, quantities and specific provisions led to more detailed and
precise guidelines, but more complex and more difficult to assimilate
and to use in practice. Therefore, qualified advice for good practice in
evaluating compliance with guidelines is needed, as well as guidance
for adequate measurement methods and procedures, and appropriate
selection of measuring equipment. Further advice on the entire process
of exposure assessment will be required to facilitate the implementation
of the new ICNIRP guidelines in practice when they are adopted as
European or national regulations.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37225206/
--
Mobile phone calls,
genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212
046 UK Biobank participants
Ye Z, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Yang S, Liu M, Wu Q, Zhou C, He P, Gan X, Qin X. Mobile phone calls,
genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212
046 UK Biobank participants. European Heart Journal - Digital Health, 2023. doi: 10.1093/ehjdh/ztad024.
Abstract
Aims The
relationship between mobile phone use for making or receiving calls and
hypertension risk remains uncertain. We aimed to examine the
associations of mobile phone use for making or receiving calls and the
use frequency with new-onset hypertension in the general population,
using data from the UK Biobank.
Methods and results A
total of 212 046 participants without prior hypertension in the UK
Biobank were included. Participants who have been using a mobile phone
at least once per week to make or receive calls were defined as mobile
phone users. The primary outcome was new-onset hypertension. During a
median follow-up of 12.0 years, 13 984 participants developed new-onset
hypertension. Compared with mobile phone non-users, a significantly
higher risk of new-onset hypertension was found in mobile phone users
[hazards ratio (HR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.12].
Among mobile phone users, compared with those with a weekly usage time
of mobile phones for making or receiving calls <5 mins, significantly
higher risks of new-onset hypertension were found in participants with a
weekly usage time of 30–59 mins (HR, 1.08; 95%CI: 1.01–1.16), 1–3 h
(HR, 1.13; 95%CI: 1.06–1.22), 4–6 h (HR, 1.16; 95%CI: 1.04–1.29), and
>6 h (HR, 1.25; 95%CI: 1.13–1.39) (P for trend <0.001).
Moreover, participants with both high genetic risks of hypertension and
longer weekly usage time of mobile phones making or receiving calls had
the highest risk of new-onset hypertension.
Conclusions Mobile
phone use for making or receiving calls was significantly associated
with a higher risk of new-onset hypertension, especially among
high-frequency users
Excerpts
In this large, population-based prospective cohort study, we first
demonstrated that mobile phone use for making or receiving calls was
significantly related to a higher risk of new-onset hypertension. More
importantly, among mobile phone users, there was a significantly
positive association between the weekly usage time of mobile phones for
making or receiving calls and new-onset hypertension. In addition, the
association between weekly usage of mobile phones for making or
receiving calls and the risk of hypertension was strengthened by the
genetic susceptibility to hypertension. Nevertheless, there were no
significant associations between the length of mobile phone use or
hands-free device/speakerphone use to make or receive calls and the risk
of new-onset hypertension. These findings suggested that it is the
frequency of mobile phone use for making or receiving calls, rather than
the length of start using it, that determined the effect of mobile
phone use on the risk of hypertension. In other words, long-term healthy
mobile phone use for making or receiving calls may not affect the risk
of hypertension as long as it is used for no more than 30 min per week
to make or receive calls.
...
it is possible that our study underestimated the association between
weekly usage time making or receiving calls and the risk of new-onset
hypertension. In fact, according to the answers to the question ‘Is
there any difference between your mobile phone use now compared to 2
years ago?’, only 12.8% and 13.7% of the participants at baseline and at
2012–13 follow-up in the UK biobank study reported that the mobile
phone use was now less frequent. What’s more, we also found a
significantly positive association between weekly usage of mobile phones
for making or receiving calls and an increase in SBP levels at the
2012–13 follow-up (vs. that at baseline) (see Supplementary material online, Figure S2).
This result, with a more objective outcome and having direct data
indicating relatively stable mobile use during follow-up, further
supported our findings of the positive association between weekly usage
of mobile phones for making or receiving calls and new-onset
hypertension....
In conclusion, mobile phone use for making or receiving calls was
significantly associated with a higher risk of new-onset hypertension,
especially in those with a longer weekly usage time, among the general
population. Our findings and the underlying mechanisms should be further
evaluated in more studies. If further confirmed, our study suggests
that reducing the time spent using mobile phones to make or receive
calls may play a role in the primary prevention of hypertension in the
general population.
--
Effects of man-made
electromagnetic fields on heart rate variability parameters of general
public: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies
Mansourian M, Marateb H, Nouri R, Mansourian M. Effects of man-made
electromagnetic fields on heart rate variability parameters of general
public: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies.
Rev Environ Health. 2023 May 18. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2022-0191.
Abstract
Objectives: The effects of man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on the cardiovascular system have been investigated in many studies. In this regard, the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity due to EMFs exposure, assessed by heart rate variability (HRV), was targeted in some studies. The studies investigating the relationship between EMFs and HRV have yielded conflicting results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the data's consistency and identify the association between EMFs and HRV measures.
Content: Published literature from four electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane, were retrieved and screened. Initially, 1601 articles were retrieved. After the screening, 15 original studies were eligible to be included in the meta-analysis. The studies evaluated the association between EMFs and SDNN (standard deviation of NN intervals), SDANN (Standard deviation of the average NN intervals for each 5 min segment of a 24 h HRV recording), and PNN50 (percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms).
Summary: There was a decrease in SDNN (ES=-0.227 [-0.389, -0.065], p=0.006), SDANN (ES=-0.526 [-1.001, -0.05], p=0.03) and PNN50 (ES=-0.287 [-0.549, -0.024]). However, there was no significant difference in LF (ES=0.061 (-0.267, 0.39), p=0.714) and HF (ES=-0.134 (0.581, 0.312), p=0.556). In addition, a significant difference was not observed in LF/HF (ES=0.079 (-0.191, 0.348), p=0.566).
Outlook: Our meta-analysis suggests that exposure to the environmental artificial EMFs could significantly correlate with SDNN, SDANN, and PNN50 indices. Therefore, lifestyle modification is essential in using the devices that emit EMs, such as cell phones, to decrease some signs and symptoms due to EMFs' effect on HRV.
Excerpts
Nevertheless, the possible
mechanism of EMFs’ effect on the cardiovascular system (slowing of heart
rate) is speculated to be due to the interaction of these fields with
the control mechanisms for blood pressure and thermoregulation [84]. However, although the exact underlying mechanism of
the association between EMFs exposure and HRV is unclear, the results of
the present meta-analysis and previous studies could be advisable to
suggest that excessive use of cell phones should be avoided to decrease
some signs and symptoms caused by HRV change, as a result of EMFs
exposure. More attention should also be paid to the young people
frequently exposed to EMFs due to using cell phones for a long time.
According to our results, EMF exposure might considerably affect the
autonomic balance and provoke adverse health effects. Therefore,
lifestyle modifications could be effective in decreasing the incidence
of cardiovascular diseases.
Some limitations exist in our meta-analysis. First, the few
case-control studies for each HRV indices affect our meta-analysis to
control before-and-after studies. Second, there were not enough studies
or adequate information in the results of some studies for other HRV
measurements; these HRV indices were not analyzed. Third, in addition to
a small number of studies in some groups, the groups participating in
the study may use other communication devices that emit EMF or have
different times of telephone conversations per day; more attention must
be paid with caution while interpreting the findings. Finally, in our
meta-analysis, studies that evaluated HRV in the electrohypersensitive
subjects were not included, which assessment of these studies is highly
recommended.
Conclusions
Our data indicated that EMF exposure could influence cardiac
sympathetic and parasympathetic indexes such as SDNN. Our findings could
support the hypothesis that exposure to RF EMFs emitted by RF fields
like cell phones may cause chronic stress and various psychiatric
disorders by influencing some time domain HRV indexes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37195230/
--
Electromagnetic
fields - do they pose a cardiovascular risk?
Parizek D, Visnovcova N, Hamza Sladicekova K, Misek J, Jakus J, Jakusova
J, Kohan M, Visnovcová Z, Ferencova N, Tonhajzerova I. Electromagnetic
fields - do they pose a cardiovascular risk? Physiol Res. 2023 Apr
30;72(2):199-208.
Abstract
Mobile wireless communication technologies have now become an
everyday part of our lives, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Monitoring
the autonomous system under exposition to electromagnetic fields may
play an important role in broading of our still limited knowledge on
their effect on human body. Thus, we studied the interaction of the high
frequency electromagnetic field (HF EMF) with living body and its
effect on the autonomic control of heart rate using Heart Rate
Variability (HRV) linear and nonlinear analyses in healthy volunteers. A
group of young healthy probands (n=30, age mean: 24.2 ± 3.5 years)
without any symptoms of disease was exposed to EMF with f=2400 MHz (Wi
Fi), and f=2600 MHz (4G) for 5 minutes applied on the chest area. The
short-term heart rate variability (HRV) metrics were used as an
indicator of complex cardiac autonomic control. The evaluated HRV
parameters: RR interval (ms), high frequency spectral power (HF-HRV in
[ln(ms2)]) as an index of cardiovagal control, and a symbolic dynamic
index of 0V %, indicating cardiac sympathetic activity. The
cardiac-linked parasympathetic index HF-HRV was significantly reduced (p
=0.036) and sympathetically mediated HRV index 0V % was significantly
higher (p=0.002) during EMF exposure at 2400 MHz (Wi-Fi), compared to
simulated 4G frequency 2600 MHz. No significant differences were found
in the RR intervals. Our results revealed a shift in cardiac autonomic
regulation towards sympathetic overactivity and parasympathetic
underactivity indexed by HRV parameters during EMF exposure in young
healthy persons. It seems that HF EMF exposure results in abnormal
complex cardiac autonomic regulatory integrity which may be associated
with higher risk of later cardiovascular complications already in
healthy probands.
Conclusions
Our study revealed discrete abnormalities of complex cardiac autonomic regulation indexed by HRV measures dependent on the effects of 4G and Wi-Fi networks. It seems that direct exposure to high radiofrequency EMF may be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular complications already in healthy youth. However, the results need to be validated in a future study on a larger number of young probands under the same conditions.
Open access paper:
http://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/pdf/72/72_199.pdf
--
Exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields and their impacts on children's health – What the science knows?
Lim H, Choi J, Joo H, Ha M. Exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields and their impacts on children's health – What the science knows?,
Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. Volume 32, 2023, 100456. doi: 10.1016/j.coesh.2023.100456.
Highlights
- • We mainly reviewed epidemiological studies of the health effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on children.
- • We could not find a consistent health effect of children in association with the exposure.
- • The qualities of the epidemiological studies are mostly low to moderate levels in the risk-of-bias assessment.
- • The current studies do not provide sufficient evidence to determine the adverse effects.
- • Improved exposure assessment, causal study design and analytical models are needed for high-quality scientific evidence.
Abstract
The possible health effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on children have become a public concern due to biological vulnerability of developing children. To evaluate the evidence for possible adverse health effects on children, we systematically reviewed epidemiological studies, and briefly reviewed the experimental animal or mechanistic studies. Using a search strategy and risk-of-bias assessment, we summarized the existing data on cancer, birth outcome, neurocognitive development, and behavioral problems. There was no sufficient evidence to
determine the adverse effects. Recent large-scale animal studies have
shown carcinogenic findings, but the biological mechanism has not yet
been elucidated. A well-designed future study is needed to produce high-quality scientific evidence of the possible harmful effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation exposure in children.
Excerpts
We systematically reviewed 49 epidemiological studies and briefly reviewed an additional 5 epidemiological and 15 animal and mechanistic studies. There was less evidence for the prenatal exposure effects on neurocognitive development while more evidence was reported on behavioral problems. Postnatal exposure than prenatal showed more evidence for effects both on neurocognition or behavior. Fetal exposure did not show a definite effect on birth outcomes. Far- or near-field exposure to RF showed no evidence for carcinogenic effect on children.
However, the effect of postnatal exposure on the neurocognition and behavior of children should be cautiously interpreted due to
the possibility of reverse causality. Behavioral characteristics may
associate with the usage of mobile phones or any other IT devices.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation and depressive moods by mobile phone usage in children may be another pathway to resulting behavioral problems.
Of
several birth outcomes, shortened pregnancy duration was significantly
associated with increased maternal mobile phone use. However, this
finding should be interpreted with caution owing to the difficulties in disentangling the effects of RF-EMF exposure and
maternal physical activity/behavioral factors, such as child-raising
characteristics, caused by mobile phone usage. The same caution also
should be applied to the results indicating an effect of prenatal exposure on the neurocognitive development and behavior of children. We did not find clear evidence to determine whether RF-EMF exposure affects children’s health outcomes. The quality of the epidemiological studies is mostly low to moderate, and the direction and size of effect estimates are inconsistent.
We found that few studies have been assessed as high quality (low RoB) (Table 1). This is mostly due to
the exposure assessment (Table S4). RF-EMF exposure has been assessed
using proxy exposure variables for the use of electronic devices, mainly
mobile phone use, or distance from mobile communication base stations.
This type of exposure assessment may cause a nondifferential
misclassification which leads the association toward the null.
Despite
the remaining ambiguity of the biological mechanism, recent animal
studies showing consistent carcinogenic findings have driven more
epidemiological studies, repetition of animal studies, and mechanistic studies, with higher levels of quality....
Conclusions The current studies examining the possible association between RF-EMF exposure and children’s health do not provide conclusive evidence. The results should be interpreted with caution due to the possibility of reverse causality, confounding or mediation of behavioral/environmental factors, and exposure misclassification.
Above all, in the epidemiological research, the accuracy of personal RF-EMF exposure assessment needs to be improved. A recent systematic review on the health effects of RF-EMFexposure in children and
adolescents also recommended high-quality research [76]. Furthermore,
advanced study design or analysis method that mimic a counter-factual
model or randomization and strengthen causal inference, such as instrumental variable analysis, difference-in-differences analysis, and causal mediation analysis, are warranted.
Moreover,
we suggest designing a census-based cohort that incorporates data from
telecommunication operators. This would be relatively free from the
recall and measurement biases of exposure, and
exposure history can be profiled in detail. A sufficient statistical
power with a large sample size would reveal the relatively small effect
of RF-EMF from other competing risk factors, and be effective in the modeling to
control confounding or modifying factors, such as restriction or
stratified analysis. With the ongoing development of next-generation
mobile communication, RF-EMF exposure is expected to increase in the general population. A well-designed future study is needed to produce high-quality scientific evidence of the possible harmful effects of RF-EMF exposure in children.
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Electromagnetic fields exposure on fetal and childhood
abnormalities: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Kashani ZA, Pakzad R, Fakari FR, Haghparast MS, Abdi F, Kiani Z, Talebi
A, Haghgoo SM. Electromagnetic fields exposure on fetal and childhood
abnormalities: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Med (Wars).
2023 May 12;18(1):20230697. doi: 10.1515/med-2023-0697.
Abstract
Today, in the modern world, people are often exposed to electromagnetic
waves, which can have undesirable effects on cell components that lead
to differentiation and abnormalities in cell proliferation,
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, chromosomal abnormalities, cancers,
and birth defects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of
electromagnetic waves on fetal and childhood abnormalities. PubMed,
Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar
were searched on 1 January 2023. The Cochran's Q-test and I 2
statistics were applied to assess heterogeneity, a random-effects model
was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR), standardized mean
difference (SMD), and mean difference for different outcomes, and a
meta-regression method was utilized to investigate the factors affecting
heterogeneity between studies. A total of 14 studies were included in
the analysis, and the outcomes investigated were: change in gene
expression, oxidant parameters, antioxidant parameters, and DNA damage
parameters in the umbilical cord blood of the fetus and fetal
developmental disorders, cancers, and childhood development disorders.
Totally, the events of fetal and childhood abnormalities were more
common in parents who have been exposed to EMFs compared to those who
have not (SMD and 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.25 [0.15-0.35]; I 2, 91%). Moreover, fetal developmental disorders (OR, 1.34; CI, 1.17-1.52; I 2, 0%); cancer (OR, 1.14; CI, 1.05-1.23; I 2, 60.1%); childhood development disorders (OR, 2.10; CI, 1.00-3.21; I 2, 0%); changes in gene expression (mean difference [MD], 1.02; CI, 0.67-1.37; I 2, 93%); oxidant parameters (MD, 0.94; CI, 0.70-1.18; I 2, 61.3%); and DNA damage parameters (MD, 1.01; CI, 0.17-1.86; I 2,
91.6%) in parents who have been exposed to EMFs were more than those in
parents who have not. According to meta-regression, publication year
has a significant effect on heterogeneity (coefficient: 0.033;
0.009-0.057). Maternal exposure to electromagnetic fields, especially in
the first trimester of pregnancy, due to the high level of stem cells
and their high sensitivity to this radiation, the biochemical parameters
of the umbilical cord blood examined was shown increased oxidative
stress reactions, changes in protein gene expression, DNA damage, and
increased embryonic abnormalities. In addition, parental exposure to
ionizing and non-ionizing radiation can lead to the enhancement of
different cell-based cancers and developmental disorders such as speech
problems in childhood.
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Electronic device and social network use and sleep
outcomes among adolescents: the EHDLA study
Gaya AR, Brum R, Brites K, Gaya A, de Borba Schneiders L, Duarte Junior
MA, López-Gil JF. Electronic device and social network use and sleep
outcomes among adolescents: the EHDLA study. BMC Public Health. 2023 May
19;23(1):919. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15579-x.
Abstract
Background: Considering the evident risk in the literature between the use of screen devices and sleep, there are still few studies on the relationship between each electronic screen device, media programs and sleep duration and sleep-related problems among adolescents and which variables interfere in these relationships. Therefore, this study has the following objectives: (1) to determine which are the most common electronic display devices related to sleep time and outcomes and (2) to determine which are the most common social network applications, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, associated with sleep outcomes.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 1101 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 17 years old. Age, sex, sleep, psychosocial health, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), sport practice, and time spent on screen devices were assessed by an ad hoc questionnaire. Linear regression analyses were applied, adjusting for several covariables. Poisson regression was applied between the sexes. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Cell phone use was more associated with sleep time (13%). In boys, time spent on cell phones (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.09; p < 0.001) and videogames (PR = 1.08; p = 0.005) had a higher prevalence ratio. When psychosocial health was included in the models, we found the greatest association (Model 2: PR = 1.15; p = 0.007). For girls, time spent on the cell phone was significantly associated with sleep-related problems (PR = 1.12; p < 0.001), and adherence to the MD became the second most important in the model (PR = 1.35; p < 0.001), followed by psychosocial health and cell phone use (PR = 1.24; p = 0.007). Time spent on WhatsApp was associated with sleep-related problems only among girls (PR = 1.31; p = 0.001) and was the most important variable in the model along with MD (PR = 1.26; p = 0.005) and psychosocial health (PR = 1.41; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Our results suggest a relationship between cell phones, video games, and social networks with sleep-related problems and time.
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Influence of
electromagnetic fields on the circadian rhythm: Implications for human
health and disease
Martel J, Chang SH, Chevalier G, Ojcius DM, Young JD. Influence of
electromagnetic fields on the circadian rhythm: Implications for human
health and disease. Biomed J. 2023;46(1):48-59. doi:
10.1016/j.bj.2023.01.003.
Highlights
- The earth's natural electromagnetic fields influence the circadian rhythm in humans.
- Sunspots and seasonal weakening of the geomagnetic field can affect human health.
- Seasonal geomagnetic field weakening increases infectious and chronic diseases.
- Electromagnetic pollution from wireless devices can also affect circadian rhythms.
- Grounding and reduction of electromagnetic pollution can produce health benefits.
Abstract
Living organisms have evolved within the natural electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of the earth which comprise the global atmospheric electrical circuit, Schumann resonances (SRs) and the geomagnetic field. Research suggests that the circadian rhythm, which controls several physiological functions in the human body, can be influenced by light but also by the earth's EMFs. Cyclic solar disturbances, including sunspots and seasonal weakening of the geomagnetic field, can affect human health, possibly by disrupting the circadian rhythm and downstream physiological functions. Severe disruption of the circadian rhythm increases inflammation which can induce fatigue, fever and flu-like symptoms in a fraction of the population and worsen existing symptoms in old and diseased individuals, leading to periodic spikes of infectious and chronic diseases. Possible mechanisms underlying sensing of the earth's EMFs involve entrainment via electrons and electromagnetic waves, light-dependent radical pair formation in retina cryptochromes, and paramagnetic magnetite nanoparticles. Factors such as electromagnetic pollution from wireless devices, base antennas and low orbit internet satellites, shielding by non-conductive materials used in shoes and buildings, and local geomagnetic anomalies may also affect sensing of the earth's EMFs by the human body and contribute to circadian rhythm disruption and disease development.
Open access paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417023000033?via%3Dihub
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Electromagnetic field exposure to human head model
with various metal objects at sub-6 GHz frequencies
İl N, Ateş K, Özen Ş. Electromagnetic field exposure to human head model
with various metal objects at sub-6 GHz frequencies. Electromagn Biol
Med. 2023 Jun 4:1-9. doi: 10.1080/15368378.2023.2220736.
Abstract
In recent years, the interactions of metal objects in human body
with electromagnetic fields caused by devices working at
fifth-generation (5G) frequencies have been studied by various
researchers. A motivation behind this research was to evaluate the human
body absorption of electromagnetic energy operating at sub-6 GHz 5G
applications. According to this, the specific absorption rate (SAR)
caused by new generation mobile phones was investigated in human heads
wearing metal-framed spectacles and having metallic implants or earrings
to analyse electromagnetic field exposure. A realistic human head
model, including some metal objects, was numerically calculated, and
analysed in terms of non-ionizing dosimetry. Simulations were carried
out with the finite integration technique (FIT) based commercial
software in the frequencies of 0.9, 1.8, 2.1, 2.45, 3.5 and 5 GHz,
respectively. The maximum SAR of 14 × 10-5 W/kg for 10 g
average tissue was calculated at 2.45 GHz frequency in the head model
with earrings. The highest electric field strength of 0.52 V/m was
observed at a 1.8 GHz frequency in the head model with all metal objects
equipped. Results show that metal objects such as spectacles, dental
implants and earrings can cause an increase in the SAR values for
external biological tissues, and metal objects can behave as a kind of
shield for deeper tissues. However, the obtained values are below the
limits of international organisations.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37270798/
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A mathematical model and experimental
procedure to analyze the cognitive effects of audio frequency magnetic
fields
Navarro EA, Navarro-Modesto E. A mathematical model and experimental
procedure to analyze the cognitive effects of audio frequency magnetic
fields. Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 May 12;17:1135511. doi:
10.3389/fnhum.2023.1135511.
Audio frequency magnetic fields (20 Hz-20 kHz) are magnetic fields in
extremely low frequency-very low frequency (ELF-VLF) bands that are
present near audio equipment and acoustic transducers. These devices
transform and operate the electrical signal from the recordings or other
devices into acoustic and audio signals. The cognitive influence of
sound and noise has been widely studied and recognized since the times
of ancient Rome; however, the cognitive effects of the magnetic fields
of these frequencies have not been studied. Due to the extensive use of
audio devices that use this type of transducer near the
temporal-parietal area, we believe that it is of interest to study their
impact on short-term memory or working memory (WM) and to analyze their
potential as they operate as a transcranial magnetic stimulation. In
this study, a mathematical model and an experimental tool are introduced
to analyze memory performance. The model dissociates the reaction time
of a cognitive task. We analyze the model in data from a group of 65
young, healthy subjects. WM is assessed in our experimental setup by
means of the Sternberg test (ST), whereby during the ST, one subgroup
was exposed to an audio frequency magnetic stimulus, and the other
subgroup received a sham stimulus. The magnetic stimulus was ~0.1 μT and
was applied to both sides of the head at the frontal cortex near the
temporal-parietal area, which is where WM is expected to be located. The
ST records reaction times when determining whether an object displayed
on the computer screen is one of the objects to be remembered. The
results are analyzed within the mathematical model and changes are
observed, including the deterioration of WM, which could affect 32% of
its operability.
Conclusion
In
this article, we have presented a mathematical model and an
experimental procedure to study cognitive effects on WM. The model
distinguishes between the effects on peripheral activity and cognitive
activity in the brain. This model is simple and applicable to the
non-invasive study of cognitive impairment under the action of stimuli
of different origins. This procedure has been applied to the study of
the effects of audio frequency magnetic stimulus on the area of the
brain that supports WM. The procedure has been applied to a homogeneous
set of 65 young, healthy subjects, i.e., undergraduate students. Tests
performed with exposed and non-exposed groups have been analyzed and
show statistically significant differences in response times that can be
separated according to the mathematical model. The differences show a
small reduction in the time spent in response selection, preparation,
and execution of 15 ms over 428 ms (1.5%), the effect of which could
resemble the activation of an alert situation. However, exposure results
in 32% longer delays in memory search than in the case of non-exposure.
These results indicate that exposure to magnetic fields in the audio
frequency band could produce significant cognitive impairment in the
young population. Finally, we believe that eddy currents play a
plausible role in the biophysical mechanism of action that could be
related to some physical stimulus or tissue micro heating.
Open access paper:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10218710/
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Human Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation
from Indoor Distributed Antenna System: Shopping Mall Measurement
Analysis
da L. A. Silva J, de Sousa VA Jr., Rodrigues MEC, Pinheiro FSR, da Silva
GS, Mendonça HB, de F. H. Silva RQ, da Silva JVL, Galdino FES, de
Carvalho VFC, Medeiros LIC.
Human Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation
from Indoor Distributed Antenna System: Shopping Mall Measurement
Analysis.
Sensors. 2023; 23(10):4579.
https://doi.org/10.3390/s23104579
Abstract
It is crucial to monitor the levels of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) to
which the general population may be exposed and compare them to the
limits defined in the current standards, in view of the rapid rise of
communication services and the prospects of a connected society. A high
number of people visits shopping malls and since these locations usually
have several indoor antennas close to the public, it is therefore a
kind of place that must be evaluated. Thus, this work presents
measurements of the electric field in a shopping mall located in Natal,
Brazil. We proposed a set of six measurement points, following two
criteria: places with great the flow of people and the presence of one
or more Distributed Antenna System (DAS), co-sited or not with WiFi
access points. Results are presented and discussed in terms of the
distance to DAS (conditions: near and far) and flow density of people in
the mall (scenarios: low and high number of people). The highest peaks
of electric field measured were 1.96 and 3.26 V/m, respectively
corresponding to 5% and 8% of the limits defined by the International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the
Brazilian National Telecommunication Agency (ANATEL).
Conclusions
This work aimed to evaluate the levels of exposure to NIR in shopping malls, considering the few scientific publications in this scenario and being aware of the importance of this study, especially regarding the high circulation of people in these environments and the large number of antennas relatively close to the public.
The measurements carried out showed that the electric fields were significantly below the limits established by ANATEL and ICNIRP. For the target frequency bands in this work, the highest average and peak electric fields were less than 8% of the limit, with values of 1.96 and 3.26 V/m, respectively. Both results correspond to the P3L2 place, characterized by having the largest number of DAS antennas together.
When comparing the change in antenna distance condition for a given number of people scenario, we also verified the strong influence of the number of nearby antennas. Places P2L1, P1L2, and P3L2 have at least two DAS antennas and/or a nearby WiFi antenna, and their measurements showed significant changes between the near and far conditions. Furthermore, these places presented the highest overall levels of exposure to NIR.
By grouping measured data corresponding to the same distance condition, we could observe the influence of the number of people on the exposure levels. The highest electric field values were verified at times when the mall was most crowded, as in [15].
Based on the results, the influence of the antenna distance and the concentration of people in the mall on the electric field levels was noted, but in none of the situations did the exposure levels rise above the safe limits established by ICNIRP and ANATEL. However, since there is not a global conclusion, neither from the academic community nor from the World Health Organization (WHO), on the harmful effects of NIR on human health, prevention is always necessary. Thus, besides the general population being oriented to a moderate use of mobile phones, the importance of an adequate project for the distribution of antennas in malls to avoid the intensification of NIR levels caused by the concentration of antennas is verified, mainly in places where the public stays for a long time.
Open access paper:
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4579
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Radiofrequency personal exposimetry
during outdoor entertainment of young adults: a case study
Vecsei Z, Szilágyi Z, Thuróczy G. Radiofrequency personal exposimetry
during outdoor entertainment of young adults: a case study. Radiat Prot
Dosimetry. 2023 May 24;199(8-9):865-871. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncad087.
Abstract
Radiofrequency (RF) exposure has grown substantially over time in the
public area. Personal dosimetry measurements are intended to estimate
how human RF exposure relates to exposure limits that do not pose a
health risk. For our case study, an outdoor festival was chosen to
assess realistic RF exposure of young adults during their entertainment.
Band-selective RF exposure-sorted along 2G-4G uplinks and downlinks, 5G
and Wi-Fi bands-was evaluated. Electric field strength data subsets
were classified on the basis of activities as well as crowd density. 2G
contributed the most to the overall RF exposure. Highest RF exposure was
associated with attendance in a concert. In moderately crowded
situations, RF exposure was higher than in the most crowded ones.
However, the total measured electric field values were higher than in
other outdoor environment, but still far below the national and
international directives of regulatory RF-EMF exposure limits.
Excerpt
Of the activities, participation in a concert was associated with the highest RF exposure. The highest exposure levels according to density were found in the
medium group. The explanation for that moderately dense situations showed higher RF exposure than crowded ones might be the potential lower RF shadowing compared with the high-density situations (Figure 4). The mean exposure level from UL
(uplink) connection is much lower than DL
(downlink) communications. The reason may be the different time slots between the above-mentioned two operation modes. However, when measuring UL, the proximity of the human body to the mobile phone and exposure to near-field conditions can significantly influence the results. The exposure during the resting activity shows the typical public exposure in outdoor urban situations
(1, 11, 12).
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Effects of 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz
radiofrequency field exposures on HSF1, RAS, ERK, and PML activation in
live fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells
Joushomme A, Orlacchio R, Patrignoni L, Canovi A, Chappe YL, Poulletier
De Gannes F, Hurtier A, Garenne A, Lagroye I, Moisan F, Cario M, Lévêque
P, Arnaud-Cormos D, Percherancier Y. Effects of 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz
radiofrequency field exposures on HSF1, RAS, ERK, and PML activation in
live fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells. Sci Rep. 2023 May
23;13(1):8305. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-35397-w.
Abstract
The potential health risks of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic
fields from mobile communications technologies have raised societal
concerns. Guidelines have been set to protect the population (e.g.
non-specific heating above 1 °C under exposure to radiofrequency
fields), but questions remain regarding the potential biological effects
of non-thermal exposures. With the advent of the fifth generation (5G)
of mobile communication, assessing whether exposure to this new signal
induces a cellular stress response is one of the mandatory steps on the
roadmap for a safe deployment and health risk evaluation. Using the BRET
(Bioluminescence Resonance Energy-Transfer) technique, we assessed
whether continuous or intermittent (5 min ON/ 10 min OFF) exposure of
live human keratinocytes and fibroblasts cells to 5G 3.5 GHz signals at
specific absorption rate (SAR) up to 4 W/kg for 24 h impact basal or
chemically-induced activity of Heat Shock Factor (HSF), RAt Sarcoma
virus (RAS) and Extracellular signal-Regulated Kinases (ERK) kinases,
and Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein (PML), that are all molecular
pathways involved in environmental cell-stress responses. The main
results are (i), a decrease of the HSF1 basal BRET signal when
fibroblasts cells were exposed at the lower SARs tested (0.25 and 1
W/kg), but not at the highest one (4 W/kg), and (ii) a slight decrease
of As2O3 maximal efficacy to trigger PML
SUMOylation when fibroblasts cells, but not keratinocytes, were
continuously exposed to the 5G RF-EMF signal. Nevertheless, given the
inconsistency of these effects in terms of impacted cell type, effective
SAR, exposure mode, and molecular cell stress response, we concluded
that our study show no conclusive evidence that molecular effects can
arise when skin cells are exposed to the 5G RF-EMF alone or with a
chemical stressor.
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Measuring EMF and Throughput Before and After 5G Service Activation in a Residential Area
Chiaraviglio L,
Bartoletti S, Blefari-Melazzi N, Lodovisi C, Moretti A, Zampognaro F, Alouini M-S. Measuring EMF and Throughput Before and After 5G Service Activation in a Residential Area. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, doi: 10.1109/OJCOMS.2023.3277782.
Abstract
The deployment of 5G networks is approaching a mature phase in many
countries across the world. However, little efforts have been done so
far to scientifically compare ElectroMagnetic Field (EMF) exposure and
traffic levels before and after the activation of 5G service over the
territory. The goal of this work is to provide a sound comparative
assessment of exposure and traffic, by performing repeated measurements
before and after 5G provisioning service. Our solution is based on an
EMF meter and a spectrum analyzer that is remotely controlled by a
measurement algorithm. In this way, we dissect the contribution of each
pre-5G and 5G band radiating over the territory. In addition, we employ a
traffic chain to precisely characterize the achieved throughput levels.
Results, derived from a set of measurements performed on a commercial
deployment, reveal that the provisioning of 5G service over mid-band
frequencies has a limited impact on the exposure. In parallel, the
measured traffic is more than doubled when 5G is activated over
mid-bands, reaching levels above 200 Mbps. On the other hand, the
provisioning of 5G over sub-GHz bands does not introduce a substantial
increase in the traffic levels. Eventually, we demonstrate that EMF
exposure is impacted by the raw-land reconfiguration to host the 5G
panels, which introduces changes in the sight conditions and in the
power received from the main lobes.
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How 5G NR
Signals Impact on the Response of Broadband Electric Field Probes
Adda S, Anglesio L, Bogo F, Pasquino N, Trinchero S. How 5G NR
Signals Impact on the Response of Broadband Electric Field Probes. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 72, pp. 1-8, 2023, Art no. 8000208, doi: 10.1109/TIM.2022.3227979.
Abstract
New-generation mobile communication systems like long term evolution
(LTE) and 5G new radio (NR) use digitally modulated signals with
relevant peak-to-average power ratios that may shift the working point
of diode-based wideband electric field probes, resulting in an
overestimation of the field strength. This article presents a
methodology to study the behavior of probes by comparing the readings of
5G signals to those obtained under continuous wave (CW) radiation.
Dependence on various signal parameters like center frequency,
modulation complexity, time/frequency duplex configuration, signal
bandwidth, and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)
subcarrier spacing has been assessed experimentally by making use of
test models designed by 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP).
Results show that overestimation can be as large as several tens of
percent and that it is greater for full-frame and larger bandwidth
signals and that, therefore, calibration standards must be extended to
consider the different behavior of probes with 5G and CW signals.
Conclusion
Diode-loaded electric field probes have been exposed to 5G signals to investigate the different behavior compared to continuous waves, in terms of under- or over-estimation. Test signals based on models suggested by ETSI have been used to assess the impact of signal center frequency, frame occupation, bandwidth, modulation, duplex configuration, and subcarrier spacing. Results show that, due to the high crest factor of 5G signals, probes tend to overestimate amplitude when exposed to high test fields, because the diode overcomes the quadratic region and responds to the peak strength rather than to the rms value of the incident field. A possible solution would be to adopt a variable attenuator at the diode’s input that keeps the working point within the quadratic region.
The analysis of the overestimation factor K shows that overestimation can be as large as several tens of percent and that it spans from 1.07 to 1.225 at 3700 MHz with TDD configuration and μ=1 , being greater for full-frame and larger bandwidth signals. Experimental results prove that diode-based sensor probes should be used with caution when electromagnetic fields of expected strengths larger than 6 V/m are measured, to avoid that, due to overestimation, they return a measurement that shows not compliant with exposure limits.
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Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic
Field Sensors
Deprez K, Colussi L, Korkmaz E, Aerts S, Land D, Littel S, Verloock L,
Plets D, Joseph W, Bolte J. Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic
Field Sensors. Sensors. 2023; 23(6):3312. doi:10.3390/s23063312.
Abstract
This paper compares different low-cost sensors that can measure (5G)
RF-EMF exposure. The sensors are either commercially available
(off-the-shelf Software Defined Radio (SDR) Adalm Pluto) or constructed
by a research institution (i.e., imec-WAVES, Ghent University and Smart
Sensor Systems research group (S³R), The Hague University of Applied
Sciences). Both in-lab (GTEM cell) and in-situ measurements have been
performed for this comparison. The in-lab measurements tested the
linearity and sensitivity, which can then be used to calibrate the
sensors. The in-situ testing confirmed that the low-cost hardware
sensors and SDR can be used to assess the RF-EMF radiation. The
variability between the sensors was 1.78 dB on average, with a maximum
deviation of 5.26 dB. Values between 0.09 V/m and 2.44 V/m were obtained
at a distance of about 50 m from the base station. These devices can be
used to provide the general public and governments with temporal and
spatial 5G electromagnetic field values.
Conclusions and Future Work
This study compared low-cost hardware sensors and
SDR sensors with expensive verified measurement setups consisting of
spectrum analyzer equipment for RF-EMF radiation. Both in-lab (GTEM
cell) and in-situ measurements have been performed for this comparison.
The in-lab testing showed the importance of selecting the correct
components for the hardware sensors to ensure shielding from crosstalk.
Furthermore, an in-lab calibration must be performed to guarantee an
accurate response to real-life exposure.
The
in-situ testing confirmed that the low-cost hardware sensors and SDR can
be used to assess the RF-EMF radiation. Values between 0.09 V/m and
2.44 V/m were obtained at a distance of about 50 m from the base
station. The variability between the sensors was 1.78 dB on average,
with a maximum deviation of 5.26 dB. However, it must be kept in mind
that these RF-EMF sensors only measured one vector component (purpose of
temporal monitoring) of the field, and therefore, the given field will
be an underestimation of the total field at that measurement location.
These
devices can be used to provide the general public and governments only
temporal and spatial 5G field behavior values. These data can then be
combined with more accurate measurement systems to create highly
accurate spatial-temporal EMF radiation maps.
Future
research on these sensors entails including the maximum measurable
field level to verify the extendibility of the conclusions presented in
this paper in case of high EMFs. In addition, new tri-axial sensors must
be constructed which can measure all three vector components. In
addition, mm-waves hardware sensors must be made to cover all 5G NR
frequencies (FR2). Furthermore, the current sensors could be
recalibrated so that their response is mapped to tri-axial measurement
devices.
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Interaction of selected parts of the human body with radio
frequency fields
B. Dolnik, E. Dolníková, E. Lumnitzer, E. Jurgovská, P. Liptai and L.
Šárpataky. Interaction of selected parts of the human body with radio
frequency fields. 2023 33rd International Conference Radioelektronika (RADIOELEKTRONIKA), Pardubice, Czech Republic, 2023, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/RADIOELEKTRONIKA57919.2023.10109067.
Abstract
The issue of how electromagnetic waves interact with living organisms
becomes increasingly critical with communication tools expansion that
operates in the microwave region. This article deals with the human
attenuation of microwaves in the 800 MHz to 6 GHz band. Experimental
attenuation measurements focus on specific parts of the males aged 26 to
28: head, chest, and belly. Through measurements, we have confirmed
that the attenuation of selected human body parts is from 4 dB to 23 dB.
We found that the head, chest, and belly absorb electromagnetic waves
differently. The chest absorbs electromagnetic waves the most and the
head the least. Belly attenuation is in between head and chest
attenuation. The measured data can serve as a basis for investigating
the impact of microwaves on living organisms and for investigating
microwave attenuation by human subjects in specific spaces.
--
Immunomodulatory role of non-ionizing electromagnetic
radiation in human leukemia monocytic cell line
Yadav H, Singh R. Immunomodulatory role of non-ionizing electromagnetic
radiation in human leukemia monocytic cell line. Environ Pollut. 2023
May 17;331(Pt 2):121843. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121843.
Abstract
In daily life, people are usually exposed to radiofrequency radiations
(RFR). The effects of RFR on human physiology have been a major source
of controversy since the WHO declared that these radiations are a type
of environmental energy that interacts with the physiological
functioning of the human body. The immune system provides internal
protection and promotes long-term health and survival. However, the
relevant research on the innate immune system and radiofrequency
radiation is scant. In this connection, we hypothesized that innate
immune responses would be influenced by exposure to non-ionizing
electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones in a cell-specific and
time-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, human leukemia monocytic
cell lines were exposed to 2318 MHz (MHz) RFR emitted by mobile phones
at a power density of 0.224 W/m2 in a controlled manner for
various time durations (15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min). Systematic
studies on cell viability, nitric oxide (NO), superoxide (SO),
pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and phagocytic assays were
performed after the irradiation. The duration of exposure seems to have a
substantial influence on the RFR-induced effects. It was noticed that
after 30 min of exposure, the RFR dramatically enhanced the
pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1α level as well as reactive species such
as NO and SO generation as compared to the control. In contrast, the RFR
dramatically reduced the phagocytic activity of monocytes during 60 min
of treatment when compared to the control. Interestingly, the
irradiated cells restored their normal functioning until the final
120-min of exposure. Furthermore, mobile phone exposure had no influence
on cell viability or TNF-α level. The results showed that RFR exhibits a
time-dependent immune-modulatory role in the human leukemia monocytic
cell line. Nevertheless, more research is needed to further determine
the long-term effects and precise mechanism of action of RFR.
--
Effects of Artificial Electromagnetic Fields on Bees: A Global Review
Reategui-Inga M, Rojas EM, Tineo D,
Araníbar-Araníbar MJ, Valdiviezo WA, Escalante CA, Ruiz Castre SJ.
Effects of Artificial Electromagnetic Fields on Bees: A Global Review.
Pak J Biol Sci. 2023 Jan;26(1):23-32. doi: 10.3923/pjbs.2023.23.32.
Abstract
Background and Objective: Electromagnetic fields
coming from electric and electronic devices, mobile telephony antennas,
or electrical installations are continuously growing and are in direct
relation with population growth. In that sense, the purpose of this
investigation was to determine what are the effects of artificial
electromagnetic fields on the behavior and viability of bees through a
global perspective (1968-2022).
Materials and
Methods: The methodology used in this research
consisted of the review of literature obtained from platforms such as
Scopus, EBSCO, IEEE, Wiley, Google Scholar and Taylor & Francis.
Results: It was possible to review 36
studies on the field and to state that investigations on this topic
have increased in 2019, at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of
6.86% (in a period of 54 years). Poland and USA are the leading
countries in the number and importance of investigations on this topic.
Keywords were grouped on the basis of the advancement of the research
(honeybee, animals, Apis mellifera;
and apoideos).
Conclusion: The study
of the effects of electromagnetic fields on bees makes it possible to
understand its impact on the metabolism and viability of bees.
--
Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees
Molina-Montenegro
MA, Acuna-Rodriguez AS, Ballesteros GI, Baldelomar M, Torres-Diaz C,
Broitman BR, Vazquez DP. Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination
service by honeybees. Sci. Adv. 9, eadh1455 (2023).
doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh1455.
Abstract
We assessed the effect that electromagnetic field (EMF) exerts on
honeybees’ pollination efficiency using field and laboratory
experiments. First, we measured levels of gene and protein expression in
metabolic pathways involved in stress and behavioral responses elicited
by EMF. Second, we assessed the effect of EMF on honeybee behavior and
seed production by the honeybee-pollinated California poppy and, lastly,
by measuring the consequences of pollination failure on plants’
community richness and abundance. EMF exposure exerted strong
physiological stress on honeybees as shown by the enhanced expression of
heat-shock proteins and genes involved in antioxidant activity and
affected the expression levels of behavior-related genes. Moreover,
California poppy individuals growing near EMF received fewer honeybee
visits and produced fewer seeds than plants growing far from EMF. Last,
we found a hump-shaped relationship between EMF and plant species
richness and plant abundance. Our study provides conclusive evidence of
detrimental impacts of EMF on honeybee’s pollination behavior, leading
to negative effects on plant community.
Excerpts
...
In this study, we used a combination of observational field studies and
experimental manipulations using a purpose-built solenoid to simulate
and assess the impacts of EMF induced by six high-voltage towers on
honeybee’s physiology, behavior, and pollination service on the
self-incompatible herbaceous plant Eschscholzia californica (California
poppy) (Fig. 1A). The towers selected for this study were tall
structures (20 m of height), built mainly with steel and some parts of
copper, used to support a high-voltage overhead power line with an
energy box storer in the upper section of the tower. These devices
generate an EMF close to 10 μT, with a peak recorded between 12 and 17 m
from the base of the tower and at 25 to 30 cm of height, and decrease
to almost extinction at 200 m from the base of the tower (Fig. 1, B and
C)....
In summary, our findings support the notion that EMF can
have direct negative impacts on pollination service by honeybees, with
detrimental consequences on the seed output of insect-pollinated plant
species and indirect negative impacts on plant community (abundance and
richness) due to possible impairment in the pollination service required
by the plant community (40). We also highlight that the magnitude of
the impact of EMF on pollination service, at local scale, can be much
greater than previously thought. Honeybees use electric fields for
intraspecific (within hive) and interspecific (plant-pollinator)
communication (9) and are able to detect the anthropogenic EMF, and
their capacity for orientation, navigation, and foraging is being
impaired, which would ultimately affect their health and survival (9,
28, 45). Our study provides strong evidence of detrimental effects of
EMF on honeybee’s visitation and plant reproduction and may contribute
to explaining, at least in part, the global pollination crisis that
risks the adequate production of many crops.
--
What evidence exists
on the impact of anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on
animals and plants in the environment: a systematic map
Karipidis K, Brzozek C, Mate R Bhatt CR, Loughran S, Wood AW. What evidence exists
on the impact of anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on
animals and plants in the environment: a systematic map.
Environ Evid 12, 9 (2023). doi: 10.1186/s13750-023-00304-3.
Abstract
Background Exposure
to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF), particularly from
telecommunications sources, is one of the most common and fastest
growing anthropogenic factors on the environment. In many countries,
humans are protected from harmful RF EMF exposure by safety standards
that are based on guidelines by the International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP guidelines are
based on knowledge of how RF EMF affects the human body, however, there
are currently no recognised international guidelines to specifically
protect animals and plants. Whether the ICNIRP guidelines for humans are
adequate to provide protection to the environment is a subject of
active debate. There is some public concern that new telecommunications
technologies, like the 5G mobile phone network may affect the natural
environment. This systematic map presents a searchable database of all
the available evidence on whether anthropogenic RF EMF has an effect on
plants and animals in the environment. The map also identifies gaps in
knowledge, recommends future research and informs environmental and
radiation protection authorities.
Methods The
method used was published in an a priori protocol. Searches included
peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English with no time and
geographic restrictions. The EMF-Portal, PubMed and Web of Science
databases were searched, and the resulting articles were screened in
three stages: title, abstract and full text. Studies were included with a
subject population of all animals and plants, with exposures to
anthropogenic RF EMF (frequency range 100 kHz–300 GHz) compared to no or
lower-level exposure, and for any outcomes related to the studied
populations. For each included study, metadata were extracted on key
variables of interest that were used to represent the distribution of
available evidence.
Review findings The
initial search, search update and supplementary searches produced
24,432 articles and of those 334 articles (237 on fauna and 97 on flora)
that were relevant were included in the systematic map. The vast
majority of studies were experiments conducted in a laboratory rather
than observational studies of animals and plants in the natural
environment. The majority of the studies investigated exposures with
frequencies between 300 and 3000 MHz, and although the exposure level
varied, it was mainly low and below the ICNIRP limits. Most of the
animal studies investigated insects and birds, whereas grains and
legumes were the most investigated plants. Reproduction, development and
behaviour were the most investigated effects for animals, and
germination and growth for plants. The vast majority of the studies
employed poor quality methods.
Conclusion There
are distinct evidence clusters: for fauna, on insect and bird
reproduction, development and behaviour; and for flora, grain and legume
germination and growth that would benefit from specific systematic
reviews. The systematic map also highlights the clear need for
investigating the effects of RF EMF on more species and more types of
effects, and for an improvement in the quality of all studies.
Excerpts
The quality scores given independently by two assessors for each study are provided in Additional file
6....There was large
agreement in the quality scores between the assessors (fauna r = 0.78,
p < 0.001; flora r = 0.77,
p < 0.001).
The majority of the studies were methodologically poor (59% fauna and
66% flora) and only a very small number of studies employed good quality
methods (6% fauna and 2% flora) (Fig.
12). The quality was similar between experimental and observational studies (Additional file
7a).
Most experimental studies employed a control/sham condition, especially
when investigating plants, but lacked in dosimetry and temperature
control and not many experimental studies used positive controls or
blinding (Additional file
7b).
The observational studies had varied quality in the following
methodological characteristics: (a) exposure assessment, (b) having an
appropriate comparison group and (c) using appropriate methods for
assessing the effect of interest. The observational studies were
particularly poor in assessing potential confounding factors and using a
follow up period.
.... In terms of the RF EMF exposure characteristics the biggest gap is
research at frequencies above 30 GHz as well the higher end of the
3–< 30 GHz band. This is because new telecommunications technologies
that use these higher frequencies, like the 5G mobile network, have only
recently been proliferated in the community. Future experimental
research would benefit from investigating impacts on animals and plants
at the specific frequency range of the 5G network in the range
26–28 GHz. Mobile communications beyond the 5G network plan to use
frequencies higher than 30 GHz so research across the millimetre wave
band is needed.
The majority of the studies in the systematic map
employed low quality methods in a number of methodological criteria.
Future experimental studies should improve the experimental design with
particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control as well as
including positive controls and blinding. Further, the conditions
applied in highly controlled experiments may not necessarily translate
into ecologically relevant effects. It is therefore also very important
to investigate the effects of RF EMF under real life conditions in the
natural environment. There is a limited number of observational studies
in the systematic map so more such studies are needed. Future
observational studies will need to fully address possible confounding
from other anthropogenic/environmental factors and use an adequate
follow up time in the design of the study. Improvements in assessing RF
EMF exposure in the environment, having an appropriate comparison group
and using appropriate methods for assessing the effect of interest are
also important methodological criteria that will need to be addressed by
future observational research.
--
A study protocol for investigating the effects of mobile
phone-originated electromagnetic waves on thyroid gland and thyroid
hormone activities in the brain
Zufry H, Rudijanto A, Soeatmadji DW et al.
A study protocol for investigating the effects of mobile
phone-originated electromagnetic waves on thyroid gland and thyroid
hormone activities in the brain [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with
reservations]. F1000Research 2023, 12:132. doi: /10.12688/f1000research.129735.2.
Abstract
With widespread users across the globe, topic on the impact of mobile
phone in particular regarding its electromagnetic wave radiation
deserves a priority. Carcinogenic effects of the electromagnetic wave
radiation have been suggested by multiple studies. Effects of the
radiation are to involve thermal and non-thermal pathways. Among human
organs, thyroid gland is susceptible to the radiation exposure due to
its location being superficial and close to the radiation transmitter.
Previous studies have indicated the correlation between the mobile phone
radiation and thyroid dysfunctions. However, a conclusion that the
electromagnetic wave radiation is the causative agent of the thyroid
dysfunctions has not been reached. Most of the study are unable to
remove the influence of the external electromagnetic wave radiation.
Hence, this study aimed to perform an investigation with true
experimental design using animal model in an anechoic chamber – an
isolated chamber which could minimize the electromagnetic wave noise
from the outside. In this article, we present the description of the
anechoic chamber along with the research protocols. Parameters affecting
the investigation, including signal frequencies inside the chamber and
specific absorption rate are also measured
--
Zebrafish Larval Melanophores Respond to Electromagnetic Fields
Exposure
Nassisi V, Mazzei A, Del Vecchio G, Calisi A, Velardi L, Alifano P,
Verri T. Zebrafish Larval Melanophores Respond to Electromagnetic Fields
Exposure.
Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(8):4721.
https://doi.org/10.3390/app13084721.
Abstract
Groups of zebrafish (Danio rerio)
embryos receive radiations of different frequencies and intensities by
means of new prototype devices. They are exposed to static (B0,
0 Hz), extremely low-frequency (ELF, 0.2 Hz), low-frequency (LF, 270
kHz), very-high-frequency (VHF, 100 MHz), and ultra-high-frequency (UHF,
900 MHz) field irradiations. The applied magnetic field intensities are
40 mT at 0 Hz, 40 mT at 0.2 Hz, 470 μT at 270 kHz, 240 nT at 100 MHz,
and 240 nT at 900 MHz. Such combinations are meant to cover
environmental radiations from geomagnetic fields and cosmic magnetism to
electromagnetic radiation of electronic instruments such as GSM and
UMTS transmission-mode mobile systems. For each frequency, fish are
monitored for up to 5 days. Unexposed embryos are used as controls.
Notably, exposure to the different radiations brings alterations of body
pigmentation in zebrafish embryos and larvae in terms of total number,
area, and morphology of (black) melanophores. This research may
contribute to evaluating the roles and effects of magnetic radiation on
living matter.
--
Do electromagnetic fields used in telecommunications affect wild plant species? A control impact study conducted in the field
Czerwiński M, Vian A, Woodcock BA, Goliński P, Virto LR, Januszkiewicz L. Do electromagnetic fields used in telecommunications affect wild plant species? A control impact study conducted in the field. Ecological Indicators, 150, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110267.
Abstract
Over the last three decades there has been an unprecedented increase in both the coverage of wireless communication networks and the resultant radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure level. There is growing concern that this rapid environmental change may have unexpected consequences for living organisms. Existing research on plants has shown that RF-EMF radiation can affect their growth and development, gene expression and various metabolic activities. However, these findings are largely derived from short-time exposure of crop plants under laboratory conditions. It remains unclear to what extent plants are affected by artificial RF-EMFs in real ecosystems and what potential consequences this could have for ecosystems. This study attempts to assess these long-term effects of RF-EMF exposure on wild plants under controlled experimental field conditions. We investigated the impacts of RF-EMF exposure (866–868 MHz frequency band) from seed germination to maturation for ten common herbaceous plant species over a four-month period. The selected plant species belong to various families and have different functional and morphological traits that might affect a response to the applied RF-EMF. For most of the considered species responses to RF-EMF were undetectable or weak, and where present restricted to a single trait. Only for one species, Trifolium arvense [Hare's-foot clover], were effects observed at different plant development stages and for different plant characteristics. In this species RF-EMF stimulated growth and probably influenced leaf heliotropic movements, as indicated by a larger height, larger leaf area and altered leaf orientation one month after germination. However, over the growing season Trifolium arvense plants exposed to RF-EMF entered the phase of senescence earlier, which was manifested through a reduction of green leaf area and an increase in the area of discolored leaf. We conclude that the effects of RF-EMF exposure at environmentally relevant levels can be permanent and irreversible in plants growing in the open natural environment, however, these effects are restricted to specific species. This in turn suggests that future studies should examine whether the effects observed here occur also in more common Trifolium species or other legumes that are a keystone component within European grasslands. Our findings also show that Trifolium arvense could be a candidate indicator of man-made RF-EMFs in the environment.
Open access paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23004090
--
Non thermal 2.45 GHz electromagnetic exposure causes rapid changes in
Arabidopsis thaliana metabolism
Porcher A, Girard S, Bonnet P, Rouveure R, Guérin V, Paladian F, Vian A.
Non thermal 2.45 GHz electromagnetic exposure causes rapid changes in
Arabidopsis thaliana metabolism. J Plant Physiol. 2023 May
11;286:153999. doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.153999.
Highlights
•
In our condition, 2.45 GHz HF-EMF exposure did not induce thermal effect in plants.
•
We observed rapid and transcient changes of gene expression and H2O2 metabolism.
•
Non-thermal biological responses to EMF exposure do exist in plants.
Abstract
Numerous studies report different types of responses following exposure
of plants to high frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF). While this
phenomenon is related to tissue heating in animals, the situation is
much less straightforward in plants where metabolic changes seem to
occur without tissue temperature increase. We have set up an exposure
system allowing reliable measurements of tissue heating (using a
reflectometric probe and thermal imaging) after a long exposure (30 min)
to an electromagnetic field of 2.45 GHz transmitted through a horn
antenna (about 100 V m-1 at the plant level). We did not
observe any heating of the tissues, but we detected rapid increases (60
min) in the accumulation of transcripts of stress-related genes (TCH1
and ZAT12 transcription factor) or involved in ROS metabolism (RBOHF and
APX1). At the same time, the amounts of hydrogen peroxide and
dehydroascorbic acid increased while glutathione (reduced and oxidized
forms), ascorbic acid, and lipid peroxidation remained stable.
Therefore, our results unambiguously show that molecular and biochemical
responses occur rapidly (within 60min) in plants after exposure to an
electromagnetic field, in absence of tissue heating.
--
Assessment of protein
and DNA polymorphisms in corn (Zea mays) under the effect of
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation
Abdelhaliem E, Abdalla HM, Bolbol AA, Shehata RS. Assessment of protein
and DNA polymorphisms in corn (Zea mays) under the effect of
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. Caryologia [Internet]. 2023. 75(4).
Abstract
Many reports highlight biological responses of crop plants after
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure based on the
phenotypic and physiological levels. So, this study aimed to estimate
genetic alterations in proteins, isozymes, and DNA banding patterns as
well as the extent of nuclear DNA damage of economic corn (Zea mays)
under the stress of EMR using accurate and reliable bioassays like
sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE),
isozymes (Leucine- aminopeptidase, Esterases, Peroxidase, and
Catalases), random amplified polymorphic DNA- polymerase chain reaction
(RAPD-PCR), and Comet Assay, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis showed
distinct polymorphisms (96.66%) between EMR exposed and non-exposed corn
seedlings depending on the number and type of bands, their intensities
as well as molecular weight which ranged from (60.27 to 192.35 kDa),
gain, and loss of bands. The four isozymes generated varies isozymatic
polymorphisms based on relative front, zymogram number, and optical
intensities. RAPD analysis generated 85 amplified DNA products with high
polymorphism values ranged from 90.91 to 100% based on primers, band
type, DNA sizes which ranged from 153 to 1008-bp, lose, gain, and
intensity of DNA bands. Comet Assay scored highest extent of loosed DNA
from nuclei (DNA damage) reached the value of (tailed ratio 20%) at EMR
exposed corn nuclei for 5 days compared to non-exposed nuclei which
reached the value of (tailed ratio 3%). This study concluded that each
EMR exposure time had unique interaction with proteins, isozymes, and
DNA of corn cells exhibiting wide range of genotoxic stress and
subsequently, adversely effect on growth and yield of this sensitive
crop plants.
--
Changes in
intracellular calcium concentration level accompany age-related
inhibitions of Long-term potentiation in hippocampus induced by
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields
Zhao W, Dong L, Tian L, Zhao L, Zhao Y, Zheng Y. Changes in
intracellular calcium concentration level accompany age-related
inhibitions of Long-term potentiation in hippocampus induced by
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields. Eur J Neurosci. 2023 May
18. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16046.
Abstract
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) have received
increasing attention and in-depth research due to their ability to
affect learning and memory functions. However, its regulation and
intrinsic mechanism at different ages in early developmental stages
remains unclear. In this article, the regulation of 15 Hz/2 mT ELF-EMFs
on Long-term potentiation (LTP) persistence in the hippocampal CA1
region of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at early developmental stages (8, 15,
22, and 29-day-old) are investigated by electrophysiological
techniques. The results shows that ELF-EMFs differentially inhibit LTP
persistence due to age difference, and the younger age, the more
significant the inhibitory effect. Secondly, the inhibitory effect of
ELF-EMFs on LTP persistence disappeared after the addition of
2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) to block
inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3 Rs) localized to intracellular calcium stores to reduce the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ), proving that the LTP persistence regulated by ELF-EMFs is associated with the IP3 Rs-mediated intracellular calcium stores. Finally, the level of [Ca2+ ]i was intervened by adjusting the extracellular calcium concentration([Ca2+ ]e ). Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of ELF-EMFs on LTP persistence in the 15-day-old group disappeared by increasing [Ca2+ ]e , while the inhibitory effect of ELF-EMFs on LTP persistence in the 29-day-old group appeared by decreasing [Ca2+ ]e
. Our findings reveal the underlying mechanism of the effect of
ELF-EMFs on synaptic plasticity in hippocampal CA1 area at early
developmental stages, and provide new insights into more rational
application and protection of ELF-EMFs.
--
Grounding (earthing) as related to electromagnetic hygiene: An integrative review
Jamieson IA. Grounding (earthing) as related to electromagnetic hygiene: An integrative review. Biomedical Journal. 46(1):30-40. 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2022.11.005.
Abstract
There are a growing number of studies investigating how grounding (earthing) the body may benefit biological performance and aid the treatment of non-communicable diseases. Research also indicates how biological grounding initiatives can sometimes be compromised, or inappropriate, and the need to take additional factors into account as potential contributory factors, or confounders, to expected results. It is proposed that expanding electromagnetic hygiene measures beyond biological grounding alone may help reduce spread of communicable diseases, incidence of respiratory conditions, neurodegenerative disease and all-cause mortality. Identifying potential synergies that exist could enable multilevel interventions to further increase the efficacy of measures. It is hoped that this review will help act as a catalyst to inspire and inform multi-disciplinary research within these topic areas, best practices and policies to help drive medical innovation, reduce health burdens, improve bioelectromagnetic-based therpies, and influence the general design of the built environment and next-generation technologies.
Open access paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417022001573
--
Corrigendum to “The relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic
radiation from cell phones and brain tumor: The brain tumor incidence
trends in South Korea”
Moon J. Corrigendum to “The relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and brain tumor: The brain tumor incidence trends in South Korea” [Environ. Res. 226 (2023) 115657]. Environmental Research. 231(1). 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116166.
Abstract
Groups of zebrafish (Danio rerio)
embryos receive radiations of different frequencies and intensities by
means of new prototype devices. They are exposed to static (B0,
0 Hz), extremely low-frequency (ELF, 0.2 Hz), low-frequency (LF, 270
kHz), very-high-frequency (VHF, 100 MHz), and ultra-high-frequency (UHF,
900 MHz) field irradiations. The applied magnetic field intensities are
40 mT at 0 Hz, 40 mT at 0.2 Hz, 470 μT at 270 kHz, 240 nT at 100 MHz,
and 240 nT at 900 MHz. Such combinations are meant to cover
environmental radiations from geomagnetic fields and cosmic magnetism to
electromagnetic radiation of electronic instruments such as GSM and
UMTS transmission-mode mobile systems. For each frequency, fish are
monitored for up to 5 days. Unexposed embryos are used as controls.
Notably, exposure to the different radiations brings alterations of body
pigmentation in zebrafish embryos and larvae in terms of total number,
area, and morphology of (black) melanophores. This research may
contribute to evaluating the roles and effects of magnetic radiation on
living matter.
--
Do electromagnetic fields used in telecommunications affect wild plant species? A control impact study conducted in the field
Czerwiński M, Vian A, Woodcock BA, Goliński P, Virto LR, Januszkiewicz L. Do electromagnetic fields used in telecommunications affect wild plant species? A control impact study conducted in the field. Ecological Indicators, 150, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110267.
Abstract
Over the last three decades there has been an unprecedented increase in both the coverage of wireless communication networks and the resultant radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure level. There is growing concern that this rapid environmental change may have unexpected consequences for living organisms. Existing research on plants has shown that RF-EMF radiation can affect their growth and development, gene expression and various metabolic activities. However, these findings are largely derived from short-time exposure of crop plants under laboratory conditions. It remains unclear to what extent plants are affected by artificial RF-EMFs in real ecosystems and what potential consequences this could have for ecosystems. This study attempts to assess these long-term effects of RF-EMF exposure on wild plants under controlled experimental field conditions. We investigated the impacts of RF-EMF exposure (866–868 MHz frequency band) from seed germination to maturation for ten common herbaceous plant species over a four-month period. The selected plant species belong to various families and have different functional and morphological traits that might affect a response to the applied RF-EMF. For most of the considered species responses to RF-EMF were undetectable or weak, and where present restricted to a single trait. Only for one species, Trifolium arvense [Hare's-foot clover], were effects observed at different plant development stages and for different plant characteristics. In this species RF-EMF stimulated growth and probably influenced leaf heliotropic movements, as indicated by a larger height, larger leaf area and altered leaf orientation one month after germination. However, over the growing season Trifolium arvense plants exposed to RF-EMF entered the phase of senescence earlier, which was manifested through a reduction of green leaf area and an increase in the area of discolored leaf. We conclude that the effects of RF-EMF exposure at environmentally relevant levels can be permanent and irreversible in plants growing in the open natural environment, however, these effects are restricted to specific species. This in turn suggests that future studies should examine whether the effects observed here occur also in more common Trifolium species or other legumes that are a keystone component within European grasslands. Our findings also show that Trifolium arvense could be a candidate indicator of man-made RF-EMFs in the environment.
Open access paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23004090
--
Non thermal 2.45 GHz electromagnetic exposure causes rapid changes in
Arabidopsis thaliana metabolism
Porcher A, Girard S, Bonnet P, Rouveure R, Guérin V, Paladian F, Vian A.
Non thermal 2.45 GHz electromagnetic exposure causes rapid changes in
Arabidopsis thaliana metabolism. J Plant Physiol. 2023 May
11;286:153999. doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.153999.
Highlights
•
In our condition, 2.45 GHz HF-EMF exposure did not induce thermal effect in plants.
•
We observed rapid and transcient changes of gene expression and H2O2 metabolism.
•
Non-thermal biological responses to EMF exposure do exist in plants.
Abstract
Numerous studies report different types of responses following exposure
of plants to high frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF). While this
phenomenon is related to tissue heating in animals, the situation is
much less straightforward in plants where metabolic changes seem to
occur without tissue temperature increase. We have set up an exposure
system allowing reliable measurements of tissue heating (using a
reflectometric probe and thermal imaging) after a long exposure (30 min)
to an electromagnetic field of 2.45 GHz transmitted through a horn
antenna (about 100 V m-1 at the plant level). We did not
observe any heating of the tissues, but we detected rapid increases (60
min) in the accumulation of transcripts of stress-related genes (TCH1
and ZAT12 transcription factor) or involved in ROS metabolism (RBOHF and
APX1). At the same time, the amounts of hydrogen peroxide and
dehydroascorbic acid increased while glutathione (reduced and oxidized
forms), ascorbic acid, and lipid peroxidation remained stable.
Therefore, our results unambiguously show that molecular and biochemical
responses occur rapidly (within 60min) in plants after exposure to an
electromagnetic field, in absence of tissue heating.
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Assessment of protein
and DNA polymorphisms in corn (Zea mays) under the effect of
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation
Abdelhaliem E, Abdalla HM, Bolbol AA, Shehata RS. Assessment of protein
and DNA polymorphisms in corn (Zea mays) under the effect of
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. Caryologia [Internet]. 2023. 75(4).
Abstract
Many reports highlight biological responses of crop plants after
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure based on the
phenotypic and physiological levels. So, this study aimed to estimate
genetic alterations in proteins, isozymes, and DNA banding patterns as
well as the extent of nuclear DNA damage of economic corn (Zea mays)
under the stress of EMR using accurate and reliable bioassays like
sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE),
isozymes (Leucine- aminopeptidase, Esterases, Peroxidase, and
Catalases), random amplified polymorphic DNA- polymerase chain reaction
(RAPD-PCR), and Comet Assay, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis showed
distinct polymorphisms (96.66%) between EMR exposed and non-exposed corn
seedlings depending on the number and type of bands, their intensities
as well as molecular weight which ranged from (60.27 to 192.35 kDa),
gain, and loss of bands. The four isozymes generated varies isozymatic
polymorphisms based on relative front, zymogram number, and optical
intensities. RAPD analysis generated 85 amplified DNA products with high
polymorphism values ranged from 90.91 to 100% based on primers, band
type, DNA sizes which ranged from 153 to 1008-bp, lose, gain, and
intensity of DNA bands. Comet Assay scored highest extent of loosed DNA
from nuclei (DNA damage) reached the value of (tailed ratio 20%) at EMR
exposed corn nuclei for 5 days compared to non-exposed nuclei which
reached the value of (tailed ratio 3%). This study concluded that each
EMR exposure time had unique interaction with proteins, isozymes, and
DNA of corn cells exhibiting wide range of genotoxic stress and
subsequently, adversely effect on growth and yield of this sensitive
crop plants.
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Changes in
intracellular calcium concentration level accompany age-related
inhibitions of Long-term potentiation in hippocampus induced by
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields
Zhao W, Dong L, Tian L, Zhao L, Zhao Y, Zheng Y. Changes in
intracellular calcium concentration level accompany age-related
inhibitions of Long-term potentiation in hippocampus induced by
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields. Eur J Neurosci. 2023 May
18. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16046.
Abstract
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) have received
increasing attention and in-depth research due to their ability to
affect learning and memory functions. However, its regulation and
intrinsic mechanism at different ages in early developmental stages
remains unclear. In this article, the regulation of 15 Hz/2 mT ELF-EMFs
on Long-term potentiation (LTP) persistence in the hippocampal CA1
region of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at early developmental stages (8, 15,
22, and 29-day-old) are investigated by electrophysiological
techniques. The results shows that ELF-EMFs differentially inhibit LTP
persistence due to age difference, and the younger age, the more
significant the inhibitory effect. Secondly, the inhibitory effect of
ELF-EMFs on LTP persistence disappeared after the addition of
2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) to block
inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3 Rs) localized to intracellular calcium stores to reduce the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ), proving that the LTP persistence regulated by ELF-EMFs is associated with the IP3 Rs-mediated intracellular calcium stores. Finally, the level of [Ca2+ ]i was intervened by adjusting the extracellular calcium concentration([Ca2+ ]e ). Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of ELF-EMFs on LTP persistence in the 15-day-old group disappeared by increasing [Ca2+ ]e , while the inhibitory effect of ELF-EMFs on LTP persistence in the 29-day-old group appeared by decreasing [Ca2+ ]e
. Our findings reveal the underlying mechanism of the effect of
ELF-EMFs on synaptic plasticity in hippocampal CA1 area at early
developmental stages, and provide new insights into more rational
application and protection of ELF-EMFs.
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Grounding (earthing) as related to electromagnetic hygiene: An integrative review
Jamieson IA. Grounding (earthing) as related to electromagnetic hygiene: An integrative review. Biomedical Journal. 46(1):30-40. 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2022.11.005.
Abstract
There are a growing number of studies investigating how grounding (earthing) the body may benefit biological performance and aid the treatment of non-communicable diseases. Research also indicates how biological grounding initiatives can sometimes be compromised, or inappropriate, and the need to take additional factors into account as potential contributory factors, or confounders, to expected results. It is proposed that expanding electromagnetic hygiene measures beyond biological grounding alone may help reduce spread of communicable diseases, incidence of respiratory conditions, neurodegenerative disease and all-cause mortality. Identifying potential synergies that exist could enable multilevel interventions to further increase the efficacy of measures. It is hoped that this review will help act as a catalyst to inspire and inform multi-disciplinary research within these topic areas, best practices and policies to help drive medical innovation, reduce health burdens, improve bioelectromagnetic-based therpies, and influence the general design of the built environment and next-generation technologies.
Open access paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417022001573
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Corrigendum to “The relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic
radiation from cell phones and brain tumor: The brain tumor incidence
trends in South Korea”
Moon J. Corrigendum to “The relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and brain tumor: The brain tumor incidence trends in South Korea” [Environ. Res. 226 (2023) 115657]. Environmental Research. 231(1). 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116166.
