Effects Of Mobile Phone Radiation Research Articles

Specific absorption rate and temperature distributions in human head subjected to mobile phone radiation at different frequencies

This study presents a numerical analysis of specific absorption rate (SAR) and temperature distributions in the realistic human head model exposed to mobile phone radiation at 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. In the realistic human head model, the effects of operating frequency and gap distance between the mobile phone and the human head on distributions of specific absorption rate and temperature profile within the human head are systematically investigated. This study focuses attention on each tissue in the human head in order to investigate the effects of mobile phone radiation on the human head. The SAR and the temperature distribution in various tissues in human head during exposed to mobile phone radiation, obtained by numerical solution of electromagnetic wave propagation and unsteady bioheat transfer equations, are presented. For both frequencies, the highest SAR values are obtained in the region of the skin near the antenna. It is found that the highest SAR values are 0.823 W/kg and 1.187 W/kg for the frequencies of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, respectively. The SAR values obtained from this study are well below ICNIRP limit for all cases. In addition, it is found that the temperature distributions are not directly proportional to the local SAR values. Moreover, the experimental validation has been carried out by using the infrared camera in order to complement the simulation results.

GSM Mobile Phone Radiation Suppresses Brain Glucose Metabolism

We investigated the effects of mobile phone radiation on cerebral glucose metabolism using high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) with the (18)F-deoxyglucose (FDG) tracer. A long half-life (109 minutes) of the (18)F isotope allowed a long, natural exposure condition outside the PET scanner. Thirteen young right-handed male subjects were exposed to a pulse-modulated 902.4 MHz Global System for Mobile Communications signal for 33 minutes, while performing a simple visual vigilance task. Temperature was also measured in the head region (forehead, eyes, cheeks, ear canals) during exposure. (18)F-deoxyglucose PET images acquired after the exposure showed that relative cerebral metabolic rate of glucose was significantly reduced in the temporoparietal junction and anterior temporal lobe of the right hemisphere ipsilateral to the exposure. Temperature rise was also observed on the exposed side of the head, but the magnitude was very small. The exposure did not affect task performance (reaction time, error rate). Our results show that short-term mobile phone exposure can locally suppress brain energy metabolism in humans.

Studies on the effect of mobile phone radiation on DNA using laser induced fluorescence technique

In the present study we have investigated the effect of mobile phone radiation on deoxyribonucleic acid by using fluorescence technique. Absorption spectra shows increase in absorption of DNA after exposure to radiation from mobile phone with different SAR values and microwave frequency which give information about unwinding of the DNA double strand. Fluorescence intensity of dye doped DNA solution is getting reduced suggesting that the absorbed energy is used for unwinding of double strand of DNA after irradiating with microwave radiation. Unwinding of the DNA is very sensitive to power of the microwave radiation.

Impacto do uso do telefone celular na saúde de crianças e adolescentes

OBJETIVO: Apresentar o conhecimento sobre efeitos biológicos dos campos eletromagnéticos, detalhes da absorção da energia dos campos de micro-ondas na criança, efeitos da exposição a esses campos no período pré e pós-natal e impacto do uso dos telefones celulares no sistema nervoso central e no comportamento de crianças. FONTES DE DADOS: Trabalhos em língua inglesa publicados entre 2004 e 2009 e indexados na base de dados PubMed com os unitermos: "crianças", "telefones celulares" e "micro-ondas". SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: Telefones celulares emitem radiofrequência na faixa de micro-ondas, cujos efeitos biológicos podem ser térmicos (aquecimento dos tecidos) ou não térmicos (estresse oxidativo e mudanças na conformação da cromatina). Pesquisas experimentais sugerem que a dissipação da energia de radiofrequência nos tecidos seria maior na criança do que no adulto. Em ratos, a exposição pré-natal à radiofrequência em níveis não térmicos não produz efeito teratogênico ou mutagênico, nem aumento da permeabilidade da barreira hematoencefálica ou da expressão de heat shock proteins no encéfalo. Não há evidência de efeito nocivo da radiação dos celulares na cognição de crianças. Fazer ligações ou enviar mensagens de texto no horário noturno aumenta a probabilidade de sonolência diurna em adolescentes. Crianças que usam mais o celular podem ter déficit de memória e comportamento impulsivo. CONCLUSÕES: Não está comprovado que a exposição à radiação dos celulares, pré ou pós-natal, dentro dos limites de segurança para humanos, induz dano ao desenvolvimento do sistema nervoso central. Entretanto, padrões culturais relacionados à posse e uso dos aparelhos influenciam o comportamento de crianças e adolescentes e podem provocar distúrbios do sono.

Effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields: Critical evaluation of behavioral and neurophysiological studies

For the last two decades, a large number of studies have investigated the effects of mobile phone radiation on the human brain and cognition using behavioral or neurophysiological measurements. This review evaluated previous findings with respect to study design and data analysis. Provocation studies found no evidence of subjective symptoms attributed to mobile phone radiation, suggesting psychological reasons for inducing such symptoms in hypersensitive people. Behavioral studies previously reported improved cognitive performance under exposure, but it was likely to have occurred by chance due to multiple comparisons. Recent behavioral studies and replication studies with more conservative statistics found no significant effects compared with original studies. Neurophysiological studies found no significant effects on cochlear and brainstem auditory processing, but only inconsistent results on spontaneous and evoked brain electrical activity. The inconsistent findings suggest possible false positives due to multiple comparisons and thus replication is needed. Other approaches such as brain hemodynamic response measurements are promising but the findings are few and not yet conclusive. Rigorous study design and data analysis considering multiple comparisons and effect size are required to reduce controversy in this important field of research.

Effects of Cell-Phone Radiation on the Electroencephalographic Spectra of Epileptic Patients [Telecommunications Health & Safety

Considerable concern has been expressed about the possible health risks of mobile-phone use. The brain has greater exposure to mobile-phone radiation (MPR) than the rest of the body, and there are experimental findings suggesting that electromagnetic fields may modulate the activity of neural networks. The tendency towards electrical instability of the neural networks of epileptics suggests that these persons may be especially sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. In this study, we determined the effects of mobile-phone radiation on the electroencephalographic (EGG) spectra of nine epileptic patients undergoing routine video-EEG monitoring. For each of nine scalp areas and four wavebands (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta), three spectral features were extracted from EEG segments recorded before, during, and after 20 minutes of continuous exposure to mobile-phone radiation. Statistical analyses showed associations between mobile-phone radiation and increased EEG activity in the alpha, beta, and gamma wavebands. The increase in alpha-wave power was similar to that reported for non-epileptic individuals. The increase in beta-and gamma-wave power may be related to epileptic alterations.

Effects of mobile phone use on brain tissue from the rat and a possible protective role of vitamin C – a preliminary study

Purpose: To evaluate effects of mobile phone use on brain tissue and a possible protective role of vitamin C.Materials and methods: Forty female rats were divided into four groups randomly (Control, mobile phone, mobile phone plus vitamin C and, vitamin C alone). The mobile phone group was exposed to a mobile phone signal (900 MHz), the mobile phone plus vitamin C group was exposed to a mobile phone signal (900 MHz) and treated with vitamin C administered orally (per os). The vitamin C group was also treated with vitamin C per os for four weeks. Then, the animals were sacrificed and brain tissues were dissected to be used in the analyses of malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant potential (AOP), superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), xanthine oxidase, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5′nucleotidase (5′-NT).Results: Mobile phone use caused an inhibition in 5′-NT and CAT activities as compared to the control group. GSH-Px activity and the MDA level were also found to be reduced in the mobile phone group but not significantly. Vitamin C caused a significant increase in the activity of GSH-Px and non-significant increase in the activities of 5′-NT, ADA and CAT enzymes.Conclusion: Our results suggest that vitamin C may play a protective role against detrimental effects of mobile phone radiation in brain tissue.

Biological monitoring of non‐thermal effects of mobile phone radiation: recent approaches and challenges

This review describes recent developments in analysing the influence of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs ) on biological systems by monitoring the cellular stress response as well as overall gene expression. Recent data on the initiation and modulation of the classical cellular stress response by RF-EMFs, comprising expression of heat shock proteins and stimulation of stress-activated protein kinases, are summarised and evaluated. Since isothermic RF-EMF exposure is assumed rather than proven there are clear limitations in using the stress response to describe non-thermal effects of RF-EMFs. In particular, further experiments are needed to characterise better the threshold of the thermal heat shock response and the homogeneity of the cellular response in the whole sample for each biological system used. Before then, it is proposed that the absence of the classical stress response can define isothermal experimental conditions and qualifies other biological effects of RF-EMFs detected under these conditions to be of non-thermal origin. To minimise the probability that by making this assumption valuable insights into the nature of biological effects of RF-EMFs could be lost, proteotoxic non-thermal RF-EMF effects should also be monitored by measuring activities of labile intracellular enzymes and/or levels of their metabolites before the threshold for the heat shock response is reached. In addition, non-thermal induction of the stress response via promoter elements distinct from the heat shock element (HSE) should be analysed using HSE-mutated heat shock promoter reporter constructs. Screening for non-thermal RF-EMF effects in the absence of a classical stress response should be performed by transcriptomics and proteomics. Recent approaches demonstrate that due to their high-throughput characteristics, these methods inherently generate false positive results and require statistical evaluation based on quantitative expression analysis from a sufficient number of independent experiments with identical parameters. In future approaches, positive results must be confirmed by independent quantitative methods and should also be evaluated in vivo to prove possible non-thermal effects of RF-EMFs on living beings. If successful, this strategy should contribute to identification of new underlying molecular mechanisms of interaction between RF-EMFs and living beings distinct from absorption of thermal energy.

Whole body exposure with GSM 900 MHz affects spatial memory in mice

Extended work has been performed worldwide on the effects of mobile phone radiation upon rats’ cognitive functions, however there is great controversy to the existence or not of deficits. The present work has been designed in order to test the effects of mobile phone radiation on spatial learning and memory in mice Mus musculus Balb/c using the Morris water maze (a hippocampal-dependent spatial memory task), since there is just one other study on mice with very low SAR level (0.05 W/kg) showing no effects. We have applied a 2 h daily dose of pulsed GSM 900 MHz radiation from commercially available mobile phone for 4 days at SAR values ranging from 0.41 to 0.98 W/kg. Statistical analysis revealed that during learning, exposed animals showed a deficit in transferring the acquired spatial information across training days (increased escape latency and distance swam, compared to the sham-exposed animals, on the first trial of training days 2–4). Moreover, during the memory probe-trial sham-exposed animals showed the expected preference for the target quadrant, while the exposed animals showed no preference, indicating that the exposed mice had deficits in consolidation and/or retrieval of the learned spatial information. Our results provide a basis for more thorough investigations considering reports on non-thermal effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

Using the nonlinear control of anaesthesia-induced hypersensitivity of EEG at burst suppression level to test the effects of radiofrequency radiation on brain function.

BackgroundIn this study, investigating the effects of mobile phone radiation on test animals, eleven pigs were anaesthetised to the level where burst-suppression pattern appears in the electroencephalogram (EEG). At this level of anaesthesia both human subjects and animals show high sensitivity to external stimuli which produce EEG bursts during suppression. The burst-suppression phenomenon represents a nonlinear control system, where low-amplitude EEG abruptly switches to very high amplitude bursts. This switching can be triggered by very minor stimuli and the phenomenon has been described as hypersensitivity. To test if also radio frequency (RF) stimulation can trigger this nonlinear control, the animals were exposed to pulse modulated signal of a GSM mobile phone at 890 MHz. In the first phase of the experiment electromagnetic field (EMF) stimulation was randomly switched on and off and the relation between EEG bursts and EMF stimulation onsets and endpoints were studied. In the second phase a continuous RF stimulation at 31 W/kg was applied for 10 minutes. The ECG, the EEG, and the subcutaneous temperature were recorded.ResultsNo correlation between the exposure and the EEG burst occurrences was observed in phase I measurements. No significant changes were observed in the EEG activity of the pigs during phase II measurements although several EEG signal analysis methods were applied. The temperature measured subcutaneously from the pigs' head increased by 1.6°C and the heart rate by 14.2 bpm on the average during the 10 min exposure periods.ConclusionThe hypothesis that RF radiation would produce sensory stimulation of somatosensory, auditory or visual system or directly affect the brain so as to produce EEG bursts during suppression was not confirmed.

Alterations in Enzyme Activities in Leaves after Exposure of Plectranthus Sp. Plants to 900 MHZ Electromagnetic Field

ABSTRACTAccelerated and widespread use of different communication systems and modern electronic equipment increases exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) and raises serious concerns about the biological and health-related effects of RF radiation. Numerous studies document various biological effects of RF radiation. However, most of these findings derive from epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies while only a few investigate effects of RF radiation on plants.The purpose of our study was to investigate the alterations in enzyme activities in leaves after exposure of plants Plectranthus sp. to 900 MHz EMF and their dependence on the time elapsed after exposure.Plectranthus is the largest South African genus of plants belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). The ornamental herbaceous plant Plectranthus sp. was used as a model plant for investigating the effects of 900 MHz EMF. Plants were exposed whole body for 1 hour to EM radiation from GSM mobile phone (carrier frequency 902 MHz, 2 W pulse output power) at 20 cm distance from the antenna. Alterations in activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in leaves were registered immediately after the end of the exposure and 1, 2 and 24 hours later. Irradiation of plants induced different alterations in enzyme activities depending on the time elapsed after irradiation. Immediately after exposure the activity of the three investigated enzymes decreased, but increased at 24th hour.In conclusion, the data provide evidence that plants perceive and respond to electromagnetic fields and are a good model to study the effects of mobile phone radiation.

Genetic damage in subjects exposed to radiofrequency radiation

Despite many research efforts and public debate there is still great concern about the possible adverse effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation on human health. This is especially due to the enormous increase of wireless mobile telephones and other telecommunication devices throughout the world. The possible genetic effects of mobile phone radiation and other sources of radiofrequencies constitute one of the major points of concern. In the past several review papers were published on laboratory investigations that were devoted to in vitro and in vivo animal (cyto)genetic studies. However, it may be assumed that some of the most important observations are those obtained from studies with individuals that were exposed to relatively high levels of radiofrequency radiation, either as a result of their occupational activity or as frequent users of radiofrequency emitting tools. In this paper the cytogenetic biomonitoring studies of RF-exposed humans are reviewed. A majority of these studies do show that RF-exposed individuals have increased frequencies of genetic damage (e.g., chromosomal aberrations) in their lymphocytes or exfoliated buccal cells. However, most of the studies, if not all, have a number of shortcomings that actually prevents any firm conclusion. Radiation dosimetry was lacking in all papers, but some of the investigations were flawed by much more severe imperfections. Large well-coordinated multidisciplinary investigations are needed in order to reach any robust conclusion.

Effect of mobile phone radiation on heart rate variability

The rapid increase in the use of mobile phones (MPs) in recent years has raised the problem of health risk connected with high-frequency electromagnetic fields. There are reports of headache, dizziness, numbness in the thigh, and heaviness in the chest among MP users. This paper deals with the neurological effect of electromagnetic fields radiated from MPs, by studies on heart rate variability (HRV) of 14 male volunteers. As heart rate is modulated by the autonomic nervous system, study of HRV can be used for assessing the neurological effect. The parameters used in this study for quantifying the effect on HRV are scaling exponent and sample entropy. The result indicates an increase in both the parameters when MP is kept close to the chest and a decrease when kept close to the head. MP has caused changes in HRV indices and the change varied with its position, but the changes cannot be considered significant as the p values are high.

Applicability of discovery science approach to determine biological effects of mobile phone radiation.

We argue that the use of high-throughput screening techniques, although expensive and laborious, is justified and necessary in studies that examine biological effects of mobile phone radiation. The "case of hsp27 protein" presented here suggests that even proteins with only modestly altered (by exposure to mobile phone radiation) expression and activity might have an impact on cell physiology. However, this short communication does not attempt to present the full scientific evidence that is far too large to be presented in a single article and that is being prepared for publication in three separate research articles. Examples of the experimental evidence presented here were designed to show the flow of experimental process demonstrating that the use of high-throughput screening techniques might help in rapid identification of the responding proteins. This, in turn, can help in speeding up of the process of determining whether these changes might affect human health.*

Effects of mobile phone radiation on reproduction and development in Drosophila melanogaster.

In this report we examined the effects of a discontinuous radio frequency (RF) signal produced by a GSM multiband mobile phone (900/1,900 MHz; SAR approximately 1.4 W/kg) on Drosophila melanogaster, during the 10-day developmental period from egg laying through pupation. As found earlier with low frequency exposures, the non-thermal radiation from the GSM mobile phone increased numbers of offspring, elevated hsp70 levels, increased serum response element (SRE) DNA-binding and induced the phosphorylation of the nuclear transcription factor, ELK-1. The rapid induction of hsp70 within minutes, by a non-thermal stress, together with identified components of signal transduction pathways, provide sensitive and reliable biomarkers that could serve as the basis for realistic mobile phone safety guidelines.

Effects of mobile phone radiation on UV-induced skin tumourigenesis in ornithine decarboxylase transgenic and non-transgenic mice

Purpose: The effects of low-level radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on ultraviolet (UV)-induced skin tumorigenesis were evaluated in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and non-transgenic mice.Materials and methods: Transgenic female mice over-expressing the human ODC gene and their non-transgenic littermates (20 animals in the cage control group, and 45-49 animals in the other groups) were exposed for 52 weeks to UV radiation or a combination of UV radiation and pulsed RFR. The UV dose was 240 Jm−2 (1.2 ×human minimum erythemal dose) delivered three times a week. One group of animals was exposed to Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (DAMPS)-type RFR, the other group to Global System for Mobile (GSM)-type RFR at a nominal average specific absorption rate of 0.5 W kg−1, 1.5 h day−1, for 5 days a week. The skin was carefully palpated weekly for macroscopic tumours. Histopathological analyses of all skin lesions and of a specified dorsal skin area were performed on all animals.Results: UV exposure resulted in development of macroscopic skin tumours in 11.5 and 36.8% of non-transgenic and transgenic animals, respectively. The RFR exposures did not give a statistically significant effect on the development of skin tumours in either transgenic or non-transgenic animals, or in combined analysis, but tumour development appeared slightly accelerated especially in non-transgenic animals. No effects of RFR exposures were found on excretion of 6-hydroxymelatonin sulphate into urine or on polyamine levels in dorsal skin.Conclusion: RFR exposures did not significantly enhance skin tumourigenesis. However, the slightly accelerated tumour development may warrant further evaluation.

Proteomics: new way to to determine possible biological effects of mobile phone radiation

Proteomics: new way to to determine possible biological effects of mobile phone radiation

Effects of mobile phone radiation

This paper points out the effects of mobile phone radiation on a human organism. The existing standards are based on electromagnetic field thermal effects on a human organism. The permissible values from the standards have been compared with the calculation results concerning field intensity measured field values and experimental data from literature. This served as a base for the determination of the antenna safety distance. Besides the thermal effect, there is interference as well as homeopathic effect whose influence has not been investigated yet. Some advice on using mobile phones are given in order to reduce harmful radiation.