Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

2-GHz band CW and W-CDMA modulated radiofrequency fields have no significant effect on cell proliferation and gene expression profile in human cells med./bio.

Published in: J Radiat Res 2010; 51 (3): 277-284

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study the changes in cell proliferation and the gene expression profile in three human cell lines following exposure to 2.1425 GHz continuous wave (CW) and W-CDMA radiofrequency fields from mobile phone base station at three specific absorption rates.

Background/further details

Heat shock treatment was used as the positive control (24, 48, or 72 h at 39°C or 41°C).

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 2.1425 GHz
Modulation type: CW
Exposure duration: continuous for 24 hr to 96 hr
  • SAR: 80 mW/kg (corrspondends to the ICNIRP limit)
  • SAR: 250 mW/kg
  • SAR: 800 mW/kg
  • SAR: 175 mW/kg mean (at the bottom of the dishes when 49 dishes are used)
  • SAR: 139 mW/kg mean (at the bottom of the dishes when 25 dishes are used)
Exposure 2: 2.1425 GHz
Exposure duration: continuous for 24 hr to 96 hr
  • SAR: 80 mW/kg (corrspondends to the ICNIRP limit)
  • SAR: 250 mW/kg
  • SAR: 800 mW/kg
  • SAR: 175 mW/kg mean (at the bottom of the dishes when 49 dishes are used)
  • SAR: 139 mW/kg mean (at the bottom of the dishes when 25 dishes are used)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 2.1425 GHz
Type
Exposure duration continuous for 24 hr to 96 hr
Modulation
Modulation type CW
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Setup horn antenna, a dielectric lens and the culture case placed in an anechoic chamber
Sham exposure A sham exposure was conducted.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
SAR 80 mW/kg - calculated - corrspondends to the ICNIRP limit
SAR 250 mW/kg - calculated - -
SAR 800 mW/kg - calculated - -
SAR 175 mW/kg mean calculated - at the bottom of the dishes when 49 dishes are used
SAR 139 mW/kg mean calculated - at the bottom of the dishes when 25 dishes are used

Exposure 2

Main characteristics
Frequency 2.1425 GHz
Type
Exposure duration continuous for 24 hr to 96 hr
Additional info W-CDMA
Additional info correspondends to the middle frequency of the IMT-2000 downlink channel
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Sham exposure A sham exposure was conducted.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
SAR 80 mW/kg - calculated - corrspondends to the ICNIRP limit
SAR 250 mW/kg - calculated - -
SAR 800 mW/kg - calculated - -
SAR 175 mW/kg mean calculated - at the bottom of the dishes when 49 dishes are used
SAR 139 mW/kg mean calculated - at the bottom of the dishes when 25 dishes are used

Reference articles

  • Hirose H et al. (2008): Mobile phone base station radiation does not affect neoplastic transformation in BALB/3T3 cells
  • Hirose H et al. (2007): Mobile phone base station-emitted radiation does not induce phosphorylation of Hsp27
  • Hirose H et al. (2006): Phosphorylation and gene expression of p53 are not affected in human cells exposed to 2.1425 GHz band CW or W-CDMA modulated radiation allocated to mobile radio base stations
  • Sakuma N et al. (2006): DNA strand breaks are not induced in human cells exposed to 2.1425 GHz band CW and W-CDMA modulated radiofrequency fields allocated to mobile radio base stations
  • Iyama T et al. (2004): Large scale in vitro experiment system for 2 GHz exposure

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

No significant differences in cell growth or cell viability were found between any group exposed to W-CDMA or CW irradiation and the sham exposed negative controls.
Only a very small (< 1%) number of the available 16,000 to 19,000 genes exhibited altered expression in each experiment (for further details see full article, link above).
The data confirm that low-level exposure to 2.1425 GHz CW and W-CDMA radiofrequency fields for up to 96 h did not act as an acute cytotoxicant in either cell proliferation or the gene expression profile. These findings suggest that radiofrequency exposure up to the limit value of whole-body average SAR levels as specified in the ICNIRP guidelines is unlikely to elicit a general stress response in the tested cell lines under these conditions.

Study character:

Study funded by

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