Abstract
Concomitant with the ever-expanding use of electrical appliances and mobile communication systems, public and occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the extremely-low-frequency and radiofrequency range has become a widely debated environmental risk factor for health. Radiofrequency (RF) EMF and extremely-low-frequency (ELF) MF have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), potentially leading to cellular or systemic oxidative stress, was frequently found to be influenced by EMF exposure in animals and cells. In this review, we summarize key experimental findings on oxidative stress related to EMF exposure from animal and cell studies of the last decade. The observations are discussed in the context of molecular mechanisms and functionalities relevant to health such as neurological function, genome stability, immune response, and reproduction. Most animal and many cell studies showed increased oxidative stress caused by RF-EMF and ELF-MF. In order to estimate the risk for human health by manmade exposure, experimental studies in humans and epidemiological studies need to be considered as well.
Highlights
We summarize important findings from animal and cell studies on oxidative stress and electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure by organ system and related cell types, and we assess their relevance for human health
The capacity of the antioxidative protection system was exhausted as the measured antioxidative markers were significantly lower compared to sham-exposed animals [29]. These results indicate that oxidative stress induced by radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) can lead to DNA damage in neurons during prolonged exposure of the animals
These findings suggest that RF-EMF exposure may cause systemic changes, which in turn affects the cellular response to other stressors
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Pathophysiological levels of ROS interfere with many vital cellular processes and functions, such as inflammation, cell proliferation and differentiation, wound healing, neuronal activity, reproduction, and behavior by altering biochemical and signaling processes or even resulting in oxidative damage to DNA, RNA, and proteins or to the peroxidation of fatty acids [5,6] If this unfavorable state persists over a long period or occurs repeatedly, it can lead to changes in the biological material, as well as the genetic and epigenetic information, and it can lead to health-related malfunctions. We summarize important findings from animal and cell studies on oxidative stress and EMF exposure by organ system and related cell types, and we assess their relevance for human health.
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