Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Cell death induced by GSM 900-MHz and DCS 1800-MHz mobile telephony radiation med./bio.

By: Panagopoulos DJ, Chavdoula ED, Nezis IP, Margaritis LH

Published in: Mutat Res Genet Toxicol Environ Mutagen 2007; 626 (1-2): 69-78

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study whether GSM or DCS exposure can induce cell death during the early and mid stages of Drosophila melanogaster fly oogenesis, where programmed cell death does not physiologically occur.

Background/further details

Ovarioles were investigated. Each Drosophila melanogaster ovary consists of 16-20 ovarioles and each ovariole is an individual egg assembly line, with new egg chambers in the anterior moving toward the posterior as they develop, through 14 successive stages until the mature egg reaches the oviduct. The most anterior region is called the germarium. Each egg chamber consists of a cluster of 16 germ cells surrounded by somatic follicle cells. Among the 16 germ cells, one differentiates as the oocyte and the rest become nurse cells.

Endpoint

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: ovarian cell death/DNA fragmentation

Exposure

- mobile communications
- digital mobile phone
- GSM

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 900 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: repeated daily exposure, 6 min/day, for 6 days	power density: 0.402 mW/cm² mean (± 0.054 mW/cm²) electric field strength: 23.7 V/m mean (± 1.8 V/m) magnetic flux density: 53 nT mean (± 6 nT)
Exposure 2: 900 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: repeated daily exposure, 6 min/day, for 6 days	power density: 0.292 mW/cm² mean (± 0.042 mW/cm²) electric field strength: 15.7 V/m mean (± 1.2 V/m) magnetic flux density: 35 nT mean (± 5 nT)
Exposure 3: 1,800 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: repeated daily exposure, 6 min/day, for 6 days	power density: 0.288 mW/cm² mean (± 0.038 mW/cm²) electric field strength: 15.5 V/m mean (± 1.3 V/m) magnetic flux density: 36 nT mean (± 5 nT)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	900 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	repeated daily exposure, 6 min/day, for 6 days

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Repetition frequency	217 Hz

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone dual band
Distance between exposed object and exposure source	0 cm
Setup	The mobile phone antenna was in direct contact with the glass vial containing the flies, and parallel to the vial axis.
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	The experimenter spoke on the mobile phone's microphone during the exposures. The fields were thus "modulated" by the human voice ("speaking emissions" or "GSM basic"), as described previously [Panagopoulos et al., 2004].

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
power density	0.402 mW/cm²	mean	measured	-	± 0.054 mW/cm²
electric field strength	23.7 V/m	mean	measured	-	± 1.8 V/m
magnetic flux density	53 nT	mean	measured	-	± 6 nT

Additional parameter details

All values indicated above are averaged over ten separate measurements of each kind.

Measurement and calculation details

Measurements of the mobile phone emissions were performed as described before using an RF and an ELF Survey Meter [Panagopoulos et al., 2004].

Exposure 2

Main characteristics

Frequency	900 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	repeated daily exposure, 6 min/day, for 6 days

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Repetition frequency	217 Hz

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone dual band
Distance between exposed object and exposure source	1 cm
Setup	The mobile phone antenna was at 1 cm from the glass vial containing the flies, and parallel to the vial axis.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
power density	0.292 mW/cm²	mean	measured	-	± 0.042 mW/cm²
electric field strength	15.7 V/m	mean	measured	-	± 1.2 V/m
magnetic flux density	35 nT	mean	measured	-	± 5 nT

Exposure 3

Main characteristics

Frequency	1,800 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	repeated daily exposure, 6 min/day, for 6 days

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Repetition frequency	217 Hz

Exposure setup

Exposure source	same setup as exposure 1
Distance between exposed object and exposure source	0 cm

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
power density	0.288 mW/cm²	mean	measured	-	± 0.038 mW/cm²
electric field strength	15.5 V/m	mean	measured	-	± 1.3 V/m
magnetic flux density	36 nT	mean	measured	-	± 5 nT

Reference articles

Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2004): Effect of GSM 900 MHz mobile phone radiation on the reproductive capacity of Drosophila melanogaster

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell death, number of TUNEL-positive cells (TUNEL assay); fluorescence microscopy)

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture
ovarioles (parts of ovaries of insects)

Investigated organ system:

reproductive system

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Cell death was detected during all the developmental stages of early and mid oogenesis, from germarium to stage 10 and in all types of egg chamber cells (nurse cells, follicle cells, oocyte). Germarium and stages 7-8 were revealed to be the most sensitive developmental stages in response to electromagnetic stress induced by the GSM and DCS fields and, moreover, germarium was found to be even more sensitive than stages 7-8.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study
blind study

Study funded by

Pythagoras I

Erdem Koc G et al. (2016): Neuroprotective effects of melatonin and omega-3 on hippocampal cells prenatally exposed to 900 MHz electromagnetic fields
Panagopoulos DJ (2012): Effect of microwave exposure on the ovarian development of Drosophila melanogaster
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2010): The effect of exposure duration on the biological activity of mobile telephony radiation
Chavdoula ED et al. (2010): Comparison of biological effects between continuous and intermittent exposure to GSM-900-MHz mobile phone radiation: Detection of apoptotic cell-death features
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2010): Bioeffects of mobile telephony radiation in relation to its intensity or distance from the antenna
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2010): The identification of an intensity 'window' on the bioeffects of mobile telephony radiation
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2009): Biological and Health Effects of Mobile Telephone Radiations
Odaci E et al. (2008): Effects of prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on the dentate gyrus of rats: a stereological and histopathological study
Lee KS et al. (2008): Mobile phone electromagnetic radiation activates MAPK signaling and regulates viability in Drosophila
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2007): Comparison of bioactivity between GSM 900 MHz and DCS 1800 MHz mobile telephony radiation
Joubert V et al. (2006): Microwave exposure of neuronal cells in vitro: Study of apoptosis
Caraglia M et al. (2005): Electromagnetic fields at mobile phone frequency induce apoptosis and inactivation of the multi-chaperone complex in human epidermoid cancer cells
Markkanen A et al. (2004): Apoptosis induced by ultraviolet radiation is enhanced by amplitude modulated radiofrequency radiation in mutant yeast cells
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2004): Effect of GSM 900 MHz mobile phone radiation on the reproductive capacity of Drosophila melanogaster
Naarala J et al. (2004): Cellular effects of electromagnetic fields
Panagopoulos DJ et al. (2003): Effects of electromagnetic fields on the reproductive capacity of Drosophila melanogaster
Hansson Mild K et al. (1982): Cell physiological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields

Cell death induced by GSM 900-MHz and DCS 1800-MHz mobile telephony radiation med./bio.

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Background/further details

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Modulation

Exposure setup

Parameters

Additional parameter details

Measurement and calculation details

Exposure 2

Main characteristics

Modulation

Exposure setup

Parameters

Exposure 3

Main characteristics

Modulation

Exposure setup

Parameters

Reference articles

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Study funded by

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