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Panda DK, Das DP, Behera SK, Dhal NK. Review on the impact of cell phone radiation effects on green plants. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:565. [PMID: 38773047 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12623-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this review is to assess the impact of cell phone radiation effects on green plants. Rapid progress in networking and communication systems has introduced frequency- and amplitude-modulated technologies to the world with higher allowed bands and greater speed by using high-powered radio generators, which facilitate high definition connectivity, rapid transfer of larger data files, and quick multiple accesses. These cause frequent exposure of cellular radiation to the biological world from a number of sources. Key factors like a range of frequencies, time durations, power densities, and electric fields were found to have differential impacts on the growth and development of green plants. As far as the effects on green plants are concerned in this review, alterations in their morphological characteristics like overall growth, canopy density, and pigmentation to physiological variations like chlorophyll fluorescence and change in membrane potential etc. have been found to be affected by cellular radiation. On the other hand, elevated oxidative status of the cell, macromolecular damage, and lipid peroxidation have been found frequently. On the chromosomal level, micronuclei formation, spindle detachments, and increased mitotic indexes etc. have been noticed. Transcription factors were found to be overexpressed in many cases due to the cellular radiation impact, which shows effects at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Kumar Panda
- Environment and Sustainability Department, CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, RRL Campus, Sachivalaya MargAcharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751013, Odisha, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Debi Prasad Das
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
- Project Engineering and Instrumentation Department, CSIR-Institutes of Minerals and Materials Technology, Sachivalaya Marg , RRL Campus, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751013, Odisha, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Behera
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
- Project Engineering and Instrumentation Department, CSIR-Institutes of Minerals and Materials Technology, Sachivalaya Marg , RRL Campus, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751013, Odisha, India
| | - Nabin Kumar Dhal
- Environment and Sustainability Department, CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, RRL Campus, Sachivalaya MargAcharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751013, Odisha, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Torres-Ruiz M, Suárez OJ, López V, Marina P, Sanchis A, Liste I, de Alba M, Ramos V. Effects of 700 and 3500 MHz 5G radiofrequency exposure on developing zebrafish embryos. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:169475. [PMID: 38199355 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Telecommunications industries are rapidly deploying the fifth generation (5G) spectrum and there is public concern about the safety and health impacts of this type of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR), in part because of the lack of comparable scientific evidence. In this study we have used a validated commercially available setting producing a uniform field to expose zebrafish embryos (ZFe) to unmodulated 700 and 3500 MHz frequencies. We have combined a battery of toxicity, developmental and behavioral assays to further explore potential RFR effects. Our neurobehavioral profiles include a tail coiling assay, a light/dark activity assay, two thigmotaxis anxiety assays (auditory and visual stimuli), and a startle response - habituation assay in response to auditory stimuli. ZFe were exposed for 1 and 4 h during the blastula period of development and endpoints evaluated up to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf). Our results show no effects on mortality, hatching or body length. However, we have demonstrated specific organ morphological effects, and behavioral effects in activity, anxiety-like behavior, and habituation that lasted in larvae exposed during the early embryonic period. A decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity was also observed and could explain some of the observed behavioral alterations. Interestingly, effects were more pronounced in ZFe exposed to the 700 MHz frequency, and especially for the 4 h exposure period. In addition, we have demonstrated that our exposure setup is robust, flexible with regard to frequency and power testing, and highly comparable. Future work will include exposure of ZFe to 5G modulated signals for different time periods to better understand the potential health effects of novel 5G RFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Torres-Ruiz
- Environmental Toxicology Unit, Centro Nacional de Sanidad Ambiental (CNSA), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km. 2,2., Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Oscar J Suárez
- Radio Frequency Laboratory, Telecommunications General Secretary and Audiovisual Communication Services Ordenation, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria López
- Chronical Diseases Research Functional Unit (UFIEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km. 2,2., Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Pablo Marina
- Telemedicine and eHealth Research Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Aránzazu Sanchis
- Non-Ionizing Radiation Unit, Centro Nacional de Sanidad Ambiental (CNSA), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km. 2,2., Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Isabel Liste
- Chronical Diseases Research Functional Unit (UFIEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km. 2,2., Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Mercedes de Alba
- Environmental Toxicology Unit, Centro Nacional de Sanidad Ambiental (CNSA), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km. 2,2., Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Victoria Ramos
- Telemedicine and eHealth Research Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, Madrid 28029, Spain.
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Lai H, Levitt BB. The roles of intensity, exposure duration, and modulation on the biological effects of radiofrequency radiation and exposure guidelines. Electromagn Biol Med 2022; 41:230-255. [PMID: 35438055 DOI: 10.1080/15368378.2022.2065683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we review the literature on three important exposure metrics that are inadequately represented in most major radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure guidelines today: intensity, exposure duration, and signal modulation. Exposure intensity produces unpredictable effects as demonstrated by nonlinear effects. This is most likely caused by the biological system's ability to adjust and compensate but could lead to eventual biomic breakdown after prolonged exposure. A review of 112 low-intensity studies reveals that biological effects of RFR could occur at a median specific absorption rate of 0.0165 W/kg. Intensity and exposure duration interact since the dose of energy absorbed is the product of intensity and time. The result is that RFR behaves like a biological "stressor" capable of affecting numerous living systems. In addition to intensity and duration, man-made RFR is generally modulated to allow information to be encrypted. The effects of modulation on biological functions are not well understood. Four types of modulation outcomes are discussed. In addition, it is invalid to make direct comparisons between thermal energy and radiofrequency electromagnetic energy. Research data indicate that electromagnetic energy is more biologically potent in causing effects than thermal changes. The two likely functionthrough different mechanisms. As such, any current RFR exposure guidelines based on acute continuous-wave exposure are inadequate for health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Lai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Van Dyck I, Vanhoudt N, Vives I Batlle J, Horemans N, Nauts R, Van Gompel A, Claesen J, Vangronsveld J. Effects of environmental parameters on Lemna minor growth: An integrated experimental and modelling approach. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 300:113705. [PMID: 34530368 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pollution of surface waters is a worldwide problem for people and wildlife. Remediation and phytoremediation approaches can offer a solution to deal with specific scenarios. Lemna minor, commonly known as duckweed, can absorb and accumulate pollutants in its biomass. To evaluate if L. minor could be applied for phytoremediation purposes, it is necessary to further investigate its remediation capability and to identify which parameters affect the remediation process. Such a model must include both plant growth and pollutant exchange. A remediation model based on a robust experimental study can help to evaluate L. minor as a proper remediation strategy and to predict the outcome of a L. minor based remediation system. To set up this model, this paper focusses on a detailed experimental study and a comprehensive mathematical modelling approach to represent L. minor growth as a function of biomass, temperature, light irradiation and variable nutrient concentrations. The influence of environmental conditions on L. minor growth was studied, by composing 7 days growth curves. Plants were grown under predefined environmental conditions (25°C, 14h photoperiod, 220 μmol m-2 s-1 light intensity and a modified Hoagland solution with 23.94 mg N L-1 and 3.10 mg P L-1 (N:P ratio of 7.73)) as standard for all experiments. The influence of different temperatures (6, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35°C), light intensities (63, 118, 170, 220 and 262 μmol m-2 s-1), photoperiods (12h and 14h) and N:P ratios (1.18, 3.36, 7.73 and 29.57) were tested in the model. As a result, a growth model was optimised using separate datasets for temperature, light intensity, photoperiod and nutrients and validated by further integrated testing. The growth model is a stable platform for application in phytoremediation of radionuclides in contaminated water, to be extended in future studies with information of pollutant uptake, pollutant-nutrient interactions and transfer to the biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Van Dyck
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
| | - Nathalie Vanhoudt
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Jordi Vives I Batlle
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Nele Horemans
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Robin Nauts
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Axel Van Gompel
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Jürgen Claesen
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jaco Vangronsveld
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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Halgamuge MN, Skafidas E, Davis D. A meta-analysis of in vitro exposures to weak radiofrequency radiation exposure from mobile phones (1990-2015). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 184:109227. [PMID: 32199316 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To function, mobile phone systems require transmitters that emit and receive radiofrequency signals over an extended geographical area exposing humans in all stages of development ranging from in-utero, early childhood, adolescents and adults. This study evaluates the question of the impact of radiofrequency radiation on living organisms in vitro studies. In this study, we abstract data from 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications (1990-2015) describing 1127 experimental observations in cell-based in vitro models. Our first analysis of these data found that out of 746 human cell experiments, 45.3% indicated cell changes, whereas 54.7% indicated no changes (p = 0.001). Realizing that there are profound distinctions between cell types in terms of age, rate of proliferation and apoptosis, and other characteristics and that RF signals can be characterized in terms of polarity, information content, frequency, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and power, we further refined our analysis to determine if there were some distinct properties of negative and positive findings associated with these specific characteristics. We further analyzed the data taking into account the cumulative effect (SAR × exposure time) to acquire the cumulative energy absorption of experiments due to radiofrequency exposure, which we believe, has not been fully considered previously. When the frequency of signals, length and type of exposure, and maturity, rate of growth (doubling time), apoptosis and other properties of individual cell types are considered, our results identify a number of potential non-thermal effects of radiofrequency fields that are restricted to a subset of specific faster-growing less differentiated cell types such as human spermatozoa (based on 19 reported experiments, p-value = 0.002) and human epithelial cells (based on 89 reported experiments, p-value < 0.0001). In contrast, for mature, differentiated adult cells of Glia (p = 0.001) and Glioblastoma (p < 0.0001) and adult human blood lymphocytes (p < 0.0001) there are no statistically significant differences for these more slowly reproducing cell lines. Thus, we show that RF induces significant changes in human cells (45.3%), and in faster-growing rat/mouse cell dataset (47.3%). In parallel with this finding, further analysis of faster-growing cells from other species (chicken, rabbit, pig, frog, snail) indicates that most undergo significant changes (74.4%) when exposed to RF. This study confirms observations from the REFLEX project, Belyaev and others that cellular response varies with signal properties. We concur that differentiation of cell type thus constitutes a critical piece of information and should be useful as a reference for many researchers planning additional studies. Sponsorship bias is also a factor that we did not take into account in this analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malka N Halgamuge
- Department Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Efstratios Skafidas
- Department Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Devra Davis
- Environmental Health Trust, Teton Village, WY, 83025, USA
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Kumar A, Kaur S, Chandel S, Singh HP, Batish DR, Kohli RK. Comparative cyto- and genotoxicity of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz electromagnetic field radiations in root meristems of Allium cepa. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 188:109786. [PMID: 31698176 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the last few decades, tremendous increase in the use of wireless electronic gadgets, particularly the cell phones, has significantly enhanced the levels of electromagnetic field radiations (EMF-r) in the environment. Therefore, it is pertinent to study the effect of these radiations on biological systems including plants. We investigated comparative cytotoxic and DNA damaging effects of 900 and 1800 MHz EMF-r in Allium cepa (onion) root meristematic cells in terms of mitotic index (MI), chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Onion bulbs were subjected to 900 and 1800 MHz (at power densities 261 ± 8.50 mW m-2 and 332 ± 10.36 mW m-2, respectively) of EMF-r for 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h. Root length declined by 13.2% and 12.3%, whereas root thickness was increased by 46.7% and 48.3% after 4 h exposure to 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, respectively. Cytogenetic studies exhibited clastogenic effect of EMF-r as depicted by increased CAs and MI. MI increased by 36% and 53% after 2 and 4 h exposure to 900 MHz EMF-r, whereas it increased by 41% and 67% in response to 1800 MHz EMF-r. Aberration index was increased by 41%-266% and 14%-257% during 0.5-4 h of exposure to 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, respectively, over the control. EMF-r exposure decreased % head DNA (DNAH) and increased % tail DNA (DNAT) and olive tail moment (OTM) at both 900 and 1800 EMF-r. In 4 h exposure treatments, head DNA (%) declined by 19% and 23% at 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, respectively. DNAT and OTM were increased by 2.3 and 3.7 fold upon exposure to 900 MHz EMF-r over that in the control, whereas 2.8 and 5.8 fold increase was observed in response to 1800 MHz EMF-r exposure for 4 h and the difference was statistically significant. The study concludes that EMF-r in the communication range (900 and 1800 MHz) adversely affect root meristems in plants and induce cytotoxic and DNA damage. EMF-r induced DNA damage was more pronounced at 1800 MHz than that at 900 MHz.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Kumar
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India; Department of Botany, Government Degree College, Barsar, Hamirpur, 174 305, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Shalinder Kaur
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India.
| | - Shikha Chandel
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India
| | - Harminder Pal Singh
- Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India.
| | | | - Ravinder Kumar Kohli
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India; Central University of Punjab, City Campus, Mansa Road, Bathinda, 151 001, Punjab, India
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Chandel S, Kaur S, Issa M, Singh HP, Batish DR, Kohli RK. Appraisal of immediate and late effects of mobile phone radiations at 2100 MHz on mitotic activity and DNA integrity in root meristems of Allium cepa. PROTOPLASMA 2019; 256:1399-1407. [PMID: 31115694 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-019-01386-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The present study evaluated the potential of 2100 MHz radiofrequency radiations to act as cytotoxic and genotoxic agent. Fresh onion (Allium cepa L.) roots were exposed to electromagnetic field radiations (EMF-r) for different durations (1 h and 4 h) and evaluated for mitotic index (MI), phase index, chromosomal aberrations, and DNA damage. DNA damage was investigated with the help of the comet assay by assessing various parameters like % head DNA (HDNA), % tail DNA (TDNA), tail moment (TM), and olive tail moment (OTM). Effects of EMF-r exposure were also compared with that of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 90 μM), which acted as a positive control. The post-exposure effects of EMF-r after providing the test plants with an acclimatization period of 24 h were also evaluated. Compared to the control, a significant increase in the MI and aberration percentage was recorded upon 4 h of exposure. However, no specific trend of phase index in response to exposure was detected. EMF-r exposure incited DNA damage with a significant decrease in HDNA accompanied by an increase in TDNA upon exposure of 4 h. However, TM and OTM did not change significantly upon exposure as compared to that of control. Analysis of the post-exposure effects of EMF-r did not show any significant change/recovery. Our data, thus, suggest the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic nature of 2100 MHz EMF-r. Our study bears great significance in view of the swiftly emergent EMF-r in the surrounding environment and their potential for inciting aberrations at the chromosomal level, thus posing a genetic hazard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikha Chandel
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Shalinder Kaur
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
| | - Mohd Issa
- Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Harminder Pal Singh
- Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | | | - Ravinder Kumar Kohli
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
- Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151001, India
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Li X, Liu X, Wan B, Li X, Li M, Zhu H, Hua H. Effects of continuous exposure to power frequency electric fields on soybean Glycine max. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 204:35-41. [PMID: 30959328 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing density of high voltage transmission systems, the potential risks and hazards of environmental electric fields (EFs) generated by these systems to surrounding organisms is becoming a source of public concern. To evaluate the effect of environmental EFs on plants, we used soybean as a model and systematically evaluated the effect of continuous exposure to different intensities (0 kV/m, 2 kV/m, and 10 kV/m) of power frequency EFs on agronomic characters, yield, nutrient contents, protective enzyme activities, and gene transcription. We found that the effects on soybean were more pronounced when plants were exposed to EF during development (especially at the seedling stage) than when they were exposed at maturity. The functional leaf number, stem diameter, plant dry weight, and pod number were largely unaffected by EF, while the germination rate and protective enzyme activities increased with increasing EF intensity. In plants exposed to low-intensity EF (2 kV/m), some agronomic characters, including chlorophyll content, plant height, and bean dry weight, as well as the soluble sugar and total protein contents, were significantly higher than those of plants exposed to high-intensity EF (10 kV/m) and control plants (0 kV/m). Through transcriptome analysis, we found that 2,977 genes were significantly up-regulated and 1,462 genes were down-regulated when plants were exposed to EF. These differentially expressed genes mainly encode ribosome proteins and related enzymes involved in carbon metabolism pathway, providing a novel perspective for understanding molecular mechanisms underpinning the responses to EF stress in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingfa Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Power Grid Environmental Protection, High Voltage Research Institute, China Electric Power Research Institute, Wuhan, China
| | - Baoquan Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Power Grid Environmental Protection, High Voltage Research Institute, China Electric Power Research Institute, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangwen Li
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengyu Li
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongyuan Zhu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongxia Hua
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
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Ekperusi AO, Sikoki FD, Nwachukwu EO. Application of common duckweed (Lemna minor) in phytoremediation of chemicals in the environment: State and future perspective. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 223:285-309. [PMID: 30784736 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 50 years, different strategies have been developed for the remediation of polluted air, land and water. Driven by public opinion and regulatory bottlenecks, ecological based strategies are preferable than conventional methods in the treatments of chemical effluents. Ecological systems with the application of microbes, fungi, earthworms, plants, enzymes, electrode and nanoparticles have been applied to varying degrees in different media for the remediation of various categories of pollutants. Aquatic macrophytes have been used extensively for the remediation of pollutants in wastewater effluents and aquatic environment over the past 30 years with the common duckweed (L. minor) as one of the most effective macrophytes that have been applied for remediation studies. Duckweed has shown strong potentials for the phytoremediation of organic pollutants, heavy metals, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, radioactive waste, nanomaterials, petroleum hydrocarbons, dyes, toxins, and related pollutants. This review covers the state of duckweed application for the remediation of diverse aquatic pollutants and identifies gaps that are necessary for further studies as we find pragmatic and sound ecological solutions for the remediation of polluted environment for sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham O Ekperusi
- World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence, Centre for Oilfield Chemicals Research, Institute of Petroleum Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria; Department of Marine Environment & Pollution Control, Faculty of Marine Environmental Management, Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, Nigeria.
| | - Francis D Sikoki
- Department of Animal & Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria
| | - Eunice O Nwachukwu
- Department of Plant Science & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria
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Khan MD, Ali S, Azizullah A, Shuijin Z. Use of various biomarkers to explore the effects of GSM and GSM-like radiations on flowering plants. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:24611-24628. [PMID: 30030756 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2734-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Since last decade, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) technology has evidently revolutionized our digital world. It uses electromagnetic frequency radiations (EMFr), ranging 850-1900 MHz, and is being composed of three main units (i.e., mobile station, access and core networks). GSM technology has significant impact on our daily life as revealed by increased number of mobile users in the world over. The main goal of the present review is to critically revisit the available literature regarding the responses of various flowering plant species towards GSM and GSM-like radiations using physiological, biochemical, molecular and cytological markers using in vitro approaches. Different monocots (tomato, onion, wheat and maize etc.) and dicots (pulses, mustard and flax) have been studied using both GSM mobile phone and GSM simulators. Different studies revealed overall reductions in germination, root-shoot lengths, dry weight, in both dose and time-dependent manners. However, there could be found incline in various parameters at biochemical and molecular levels. Furthermore, there could be found disturbances at cytological levels upon exposure of roots of onion to EMFr radiations. The overall literature review shows the negative effects of GSM and GSM-like radiations on targeted plant species. In order to alleviate the stressful effects of EMFr radiations on plants, in vivo studies need to be done using various cost-effective approaches such as use of biochar and various organic amendments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Daud Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan.
- Institute of Crop Science, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnolgy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shafaqat Ali
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Azizullah Azizullah
- Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, 26000, Pakistan
| | - Zhu Shuijin
- Institute of Crop Science, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnolgy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Cansiz M, Abbasov T, Kurt MB, Celik AR. Mapping of radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure levels in outdoor environment and comparing with reference levels for general public health. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2018; 28:161-165. [PMID: 27805622 DOI: 10.1038/jes.2016.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure levels were measured on the main streets in the city center of Diyarbakır, Turkey. Measured electric field levels were plotted on satellite imagery of Diyarbakır and were compared with exposure guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Exposure measurements were performed in dense urban, urban and suburban areas each day for 7 consecutive days. The measurement system consisted of high precision and portable spectrum analyzer, three-axis electric field antenna, connection cable and a laptop which was used to record the measurement samples as a data logger. The highest exposure levels were detected for two places, which are called Diclekent and Batıkent. It was observed that the highest instantaneous electric field strength value for Batıkent was 7.18 V/m and for Diclekent was 5.81 V/m. It was statistically determined that the main contributor band to the total exposure levels was Universal Mobile Telecommunications System band. Finally, it was concluded that all measured exposure levels were lower than the reference levels recommended by ICNIRP for general public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Cansiz
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey
| | - Teymuraz Abbasov
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, İnönü University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - M Bahattin Kurt
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey
| | - A Recai Celik
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey
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Bourdineaud JP, Šrut M, Štambuk A, Tkalec M, Brèthes D, Malarić K, Klobučar GI.V. Electromagnetic fields at a mobile phone frequency (900 MHz) trigger the onset of general stress response along with DNA modifications in Eisenia fetida earthworms. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2017; 68:142-152. [DOI: 10.1515/aiht-2017-68-2928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Eisenia fetida earthworms were exposed to electromagnetic field (EMF) at a mobile phone frequency (900 MHz) and at field levels ranging from 10 to 120 V m-1 for a period of two hours (corresponding to specific absorption rates ranging from 0.13 to 9.33 mW kg-1). Potential effects of longer exposure (four hours), field modulation, and a recovery period of 24 h after two hours of exposure were addressed at the field level of 23 V m-1. All exposure treatments induced significant DNA modifications as assessed by a quantitative random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR. Even after 24 h of recovery following a two hour-exposure, the number of probe hybridisation sites displayed a significant two-fold decrease as compared to untreated control earthworms, implying a loss of hybridisation sites and a persistent genotoxic effect of EMF. Expression of genes involved in the response to general stress (HSP70 encoding the 70 kDa heat shock protein, and MEKK1 involved in signal transduction), oxidative stress (CAT, encoding catalase), and chemical and immune defence (LYS, encoding lysenin, and MYD, encoding a myeloid differentiation factor) were up-regulated after exposure to 10 and modulated 23 V m-1 field levels. Western blots showing an increased quantity of HSP70 and MTCO1 proteins confirmed this stress response. HSP70 and LYS genes were up-regulated after 24 h of recovery following a two hour-exposure, meaning that the effect of EMF exposure lasted for hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Bourdineaud
- Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR 5234, 2, rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac , France
| | - Maja Šrut
- University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Anamaria Štambuk
- University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Mirta Tkalec
- University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Daniel Brèthes
- Institute of Cell Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Zagreb, Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Krešimir Malarić
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Göran I .V. Klobučar
- University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb , Croatia
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Waldmann-Selsam C, Balmori-de la Puente A, Breunig H, Balmori A. Radiofrequency radiation injures trees around mobile phone base stations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 572:554-569. [PMID: 27552133 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades, the deployment of phone masts around the world has taken place and, for many years, there has been a discussion in the scientific community about the possible environmental impact from mobile phone base stations. Trees have several advantages over animals as experimental subjects and the aim of this study was to verify whether there is a connection between unusual (generally unilateral) tree damage and radiofrequency exposure. To achieve this, a detailed long-term (2006-2015) field monitoring study was performed in the cities of Bamberg and Hallstadt (Germany). During monitoring, observations and photographic recordings of unusual or unexplainable tree damage were taken, alongside the measurement of electromagnetic radiation. In 2015 measurements of RF-EMF (Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields) were carried out. A polygon spanning both cities was chosen as the study site, where 144 measurements of the radiofrequency of electromagnetic fields were taken at a height of 1.5m in streets and parks at different locations. By interpolation of the 144 measurement points, we were able to compile an electromagnetic map of the power flux density in Bamberg and Hallstadt. We selected 60 damaged trees, in addition to 30 randomly selected trees and 30 trees in low radiation areas (n=120) in this polygon. The measurements of all trees revealed significant differences between the damaged side facing a phone mast and the opposite side, as well as differences between the exposed side of damaged trees and all other groups of trees in both sides. Thus, we found that side differences in measured values of power flux density corresponded to side differences in damage. The 30 selected trees in low radiation areas (no visual contact to any phone mast and power flux density under 50μW/m2) showed no damage. Statistical analysis demonstrated that electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone masts is harmful for trees. These results are consistent with the fact that damage afflicted on trees by mobile phone towers usually start on one side, extending to the whole tree over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alfonso Balmori
- Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Castilla y León, C/Rigoberto Cortejoso, 14 47071 Valladolid, Spain.
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14
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Halgamuge MN. Review: Weak radiofrequency radiation exposure from mobile phone radiation on plants. Electromagn Biol Med 2016; 36:213-235. [PMID: 27650031 DOI: 10.1080/15368378.2016.1220389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this article was to explore the hypothesis that non-thermal, weak, radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have an effect on living plants. SUBJECT AND METHODS In this study, we performed an analysis of the data extracted from the 45 peer-reviewed scientific publications (1996-2016) describing 169 experimental observations to detect the physiological and morphological changes in plants due to the non-thermal RF-EMF effects from mobile phone radiation. Twenty-nine different species of plants were considered in this work. RESULTS Our analysis demonstrates that the data from a substantial amount of the studies on RF-EMFs from mobile phones show physiological and/or morphological effects (89.9%, p < 0.001). Additionally, our analysis of the results from these reported studies demonstrates that the maize, roselle, pea, fenugreek, duckweeds, tomato, onions and mungbean plants seem to be very sensitive to RF-EMFs. Our findings also suggest that plants seem to be more responsive to certain frequencies, especially the frequencies between (i) 800 and 1500 MHz (p < 0.0001), (ii) 1500 and 2400 MHz (p < 0.0001) and (iii) 3500 and 8000 MHz (p = 0.0161). CONCLUSION The available literature on the effect of RF-EMFs on plants to date observed the significant trend of radiofrequency radiation influence on plants. Hence, this study provides new evidence supporting our hypothesis. Nonetheless, this endorses the need for more experiments to observe the effects of RF-EMFs, especially for the longer exposure durations, using the whole organisms. The above observation agrees with our earlier study, in that it supported that it is not a well-grounded method to characterize biological effects without considering the exposure duration. Nevertheless, none of these findings can be directly associated with human; however, on the other hand, this cannot be excluded, as it can impact the human welfare and health, either directly or indirectly, due to their complexity and varied effects (calcium metabolism, stress proteins, etc.). This study should be useful as a reference for researchers conducting epidemiological studies and the long-term experiments, using whole organisms, to observe the effects of RF-EMFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malka N Halgamuge
- a Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering , The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria , Australia
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Seo DH, Kim MS, Choi HW, Sung JM, Park JD, Kum JS. Effects of millimeter wave treatment on the germination rate and antioxidant potentials and gamma-aminobutyric acid of the germinated brown rice. Food Sci Biotechnol 2016; 25:111-114. [PMID: 30263244 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-016-0016-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have been conducted to promote germination in brown rice in order to improve its nutritional value in terms of enzymes, protein quality, and micronutrient content. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of millimeter wave on germination. Millimeter wave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with frequency between 30 and 300 GHz, and is also called 'biomicrowave'. Millimeter wave significantly stimulated germination. Total polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity also increased, especially at high frequency and prolonged dose. However, γ-aminobutyric acid content was diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Ho Seo
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13539 Korea
| | - Mi-Seon Kim
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13539 Korea
| | - Hyun-Wook Choi
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13539 Korea
| | - Jung-Min Sung
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13539 Korea
| | - Jong-Dae Park
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13539 Korea
| | - Jun-Seok Kum
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13539 Korea
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16
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Plant Responses to High Frequency Electromagnetic Fields. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:1830262. [PMID: 26981524 PMCID: PMC4769733 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1830262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
High frequency nonionizing electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF) that are increasingly present in the environment constitute a genuine environmental stimulus able to evoke specific responses in plants that share many similarities with those observed after a stressful treatment. Plants constitute an outstanding model to study such interactions since their architecture (high surface area to volume ratio) optimizes their interaction with the environment. In the present review, after identifying the main exposure devices (transverse and gigahertz electromagnetic cells, wave guide, and mode stirred reverberating chamber) and general physics laws that govern EMF interactions with plants, we illustrate some of the observed responses after exposure to HF-EMF at the cellular, molecular, and whole plant scale. Indeed, numerous metabolic activities (reactive oxygen species metabolism, α- and β-amylase, Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, chlorophyll content, terpene emission, etc.) are modified, gene expression altered (calmodulin, calcium-dependent protein kinase, and proteinase inhibitor), and growth reduced (stem elongation and dry weight) after low power (i.e., nonthermal) HF-EMF exposure. These changes occur not only in the tissues directly exposed but also systemically in distant tissues. While the long-term impact of these metabolic changes remains largely unknown, we propose to consider nonionizing HF-EMF radiation as a noninjurious, genuine environmental factor that readily evokes changes in plant metabolism.
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17
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Grémiaux A, Girard S, Guérin V, Lothier J, Baluška F, Davies E, Bonnet P, Vian A. Low-amplitude, high-frequency electromagnetic field exposure causes delayed and reduced growth in Rosa hybrida. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 190:44-53. [PMID: 26643955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
It is now accepted that plants perceive high-frequency electromagnetic field (HF-EMF). We wondered if the HF-EMF signal is integrated further in planta as a chain of reactions leading to a modification of plant growth. We exposed whole small ligneous plants (rose bush) whose growth could be studied for several weeks. We performed exposures at two different development stages (rooted cuttings bearing an axillary bud and 5-leaf stage plants), using two high frequency (900MHz) field amplitudes (5 and 200Vm(-1)). We achieved a tight control on the experimental conditions using a state-of-the-art stimulation device (Mode Stirred Reverberation Chamber) and specialized culture-chambers. After the exposure, we followed the shoot growth for over a one-month period. We observed no growth modification whatsoever exposure was performed on the 5-leaf stage plants. When the exposure was performed on the rooted cuttings, no growth modification was observed on Axis I (produced from the elongation of the axillary bud). Likewise, no significant modification was noted on Axis II produced at the base of Axis I, that came from pre-formed secondary axillary buds. In contrast, Axis II produced at the top of Axis I, that came from post-formed secondary buds consistently displayed a delayed and significant reduced growth (45%). The measurements of plant energy uptake from HF-EMF in this exposure condition (SAR of 7.2 10(-4)Wkg(-1)) indicated that this biological response is likely not due to thermal effect. These results suggest that exposure to electromagnetic field only affected development of post-formed organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Grémiaux
- Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences-UMR 1345 IRHS, Université d'Angers-INRA-Agrocampus Ouest, ARCH-E, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, Campus du Végétal, CS 60057, F-49071 Beaucouzé, Cedex, France
| | - Sébastien Girard
- Université Blaise Pascal, Institut Pascal, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CNRS, UMR 6602, F-63171 Aubière, France
| | - Vincent Guérin
- Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences-UMR 1345 IRHS, Université d'Angers-INRA-Agrocampus Ouest, ARCH-E, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, Campus du Végétal, CS 60057, F-49071 Beaucouzé, Cedex, France
| | - Jérémy Lothier
- Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences-UMR 1345 IRHS, Université d'Angers-INRA-Agrocampus Ouest, ARCH-E, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, Campus du Végétal, CS 60057, F-49071 Beaucouzé, Cedex, France
| | - František Baluška
- Institut für Zelluläre und Molekulare Botanik Zellbiologie der Pflanzen, Universität Bonn, Kirschallee 1, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Eric Davies
- North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Box 7612, Raleigh, NC 27695-7612 USA
| | - Pierre Bonnet
- Université Blaise Pascal, Institut Pascal, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CNRS, UMR 6602, F-63171 Aubière, France
| | - Alain Vian
- Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences-UMR 1345 IRHS, Université d'Angers-INRA-Agrocampus Ouest, ARCH-E, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, Campus du Végétal, CS 60057, F-49071 Beaucouzé, Cedex, France.
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Gustavino B, Carboni G, Petrillo R, Paoluzzi G, Santovetti E, Rizzoni M. Exposure to 915 MHz radiation induces micronuclei inVicia fabaroot tips. Mutagenesis 2015; 31:187-92. [DOI: 10.1093/mutage/gev071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Halgamuge MN, Yak SK, Eberhardt JL. Reduced growth of soybean seedlings after exposure to weak microwave radiation from GSM 900 mobile phone and base station. Bioelectromagnetics 2015; 36:87-95. [PMID: 25644316 DOI: 10.1002/bem.21890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to study possible effects of environmental radiation pollution on plants. The association between cellular telephone (short duration, higher amplitude) and base station (long duration, very low amplitude) radiation exposure and the growth rate of soybean (Glycine max) seedlings was investigated. Soybean seedlings, pre-grown for 4 days, were exposed in a gigahertz transverse electromagnetic cell for 2 h to global system for mobile communication (GSM) mobile phone pulsed radiation or continuous wave (CW) radiation at 900 MHz with amplitudes of 5.7 and 41 V m(-1) , and outgrowth was studied one week after exposure. The exposure to higher amplitude (41 V m(-1)) GSM radiation resulted in diminished outgrowth of the epicotyl. The exposure to lower amplitude (5.7 V m(-1)) GSM radiation did not influence outgrowth of epicotyl, hypocotyls, or roots. The exposure to higher amplitude CW radiation resulted in reduced outgrowth of the roots whereas lower CW exposure resulted in a reduced outgrowth of the hypocotyl. Soybean seedlings were also exposed for 5 days to an extremely low level of radiation (GSM 900 MHz, 0.56 V m(-1)) and outgrowth was studied 2 days later. Growth of epicotyl and hypocotyl was found to be reduced, whereas the outgrowth of roots was stimulated. Our findings indicate that the observed effects were significantly dependent on field strength as well as amplitude modulation of the applied field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malka N Halgamuge
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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20
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Barteri M, De Carolis R, Marinelli F, Tomassetti G, Montemiglio LC. Effects of microwaves (900 MHz) on peroxidase systems: A comparison between lactoperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase. Electromagn Biol Med 2015; 35:126-33. [PMID: 25577980 DOI: 10.3109/15368378.2014.1002135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
This work shows the effects of exposure to an electromagnetic field at 900 MHz on the catalytic activity of the enzymes lactoperoxidase (LPO) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Experimental evidence that irradiation causes conformational changes of the active sites and influences the formation and stability of the intermediate free radicals is documented by measurements of enzyme kinetics, circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) and cyclic voltammetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Barteri
- a Department of Chemistry , "Sapienza" University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | - Roberta De Carolis
- b National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) , Rome , Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Marinelli
- c National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Instituto di Genetica Molecolare (IGM) , Bologna , Italy.,d SC Laboratory of Muscoloskeletal Cell Biology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (IOR) , Bologna , Italy
| | - Goliardo Tomassetti
- e Institute of Radioastronomy, Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) , Bologna , Italy
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21
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Kouzmanova M, Dimitrova M, Dragolova D, Atanasova G, Atanasov N. Alterations in Enzyme Activities in Leaves after Exposure ofPlectranthus Sp.Plants to 900 MHZ Electromagnetic Field. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2009.10818499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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22
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Senavirathna MDHJ, Asaeda T, Thilakarathne BLS, Kadono H. Nanometer-scale elongation rate fluctuations in the Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot feather) stem were altered by radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e28590. [PMID: 24670369 PMCID: PMC4091600 DOI: 10.4161/psb.28590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The emission of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR) by various wireless communication base stations has increased in recent years. While there is wide concern about the effects of EMR on humans and animals, the influence of EMR on plants is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of EMR on the growth dynamics of Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot feather) by measuring the nanometric elongation rate fluctuation (NERF) using a statistical interferometry technique. Plants were exposed to 2 GHz EMR at a maximum of 1.42 Wm(-2) for 1 h. After continuous exposure to EMR, M. aquaticum plants exhibited a statistically significant 51 ± 16% reduction in NERF standard deviation. Temperature observations revealed that EMR exposure did not cause dielectric heating of the plants. Therefore, the reduced NERF was due to a non-thermal effect caused by EMR exposure. The alteration in NERF continued for at least 2.5 h after EMR exposure and no significant recovery was found in post-EMR NERF during the experimental period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takashi Asaeda
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology; Saitama University; Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Hirofumi Kadono
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology; Saitama University; Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan
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Senavirathna MDHJ, Takashi A, Kimura Y. Short-duration exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation alters the chlorophyll fluorescence of duckweeds (Lemna minor). Electromagn Biol Med 2013; 33:327-34. [DOI: 10.3109/15368378.2013.844705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Tkalec M, Stambuk A, Srut M, Malarić K, Klobučar GIV. Oxidative and genotoxic effects of 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in the earthworm Eisenia fetida. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2013; 90:7-12. [PMID: 23352129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2012] [Revised: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) can have various biological effects. In this study the oxidative and genotoxic effects were investigated in earthworms Eisenia fetida exposed in vivo to RF-EMF at the mobile phone frequency (900 MHz). Earthworms were exposed to the homogeneous RF-EMF at field levels of 10, 23, 41 and 120 V m(-1) for a period of 2h using a Gigahertz Transversal Electromagnetic (GTEM) cell. At the field level of 23 V m(-1) the effect of longer exposure (4h) and field modulation (80% AM 1 kHz sinusoidal) was investigated as well. All exposure treatments induced significant genotoxic effect in earthworms coelomocytes detected by the Comet assay, demonstrating DNA damaging capacity of 900 MHz electromagnetic radiation. Field modulation additionally increased the genotoxic effect. Moreover, our results indicated the induction of antioxidant stress response in terms of enhanced catalase and glutathione reductase activity as a result of the RF-EMF exposure, and demonstrated the generation of lipid and protein oxidative damage. Antioxidant responses and the potential of RF-EMF to induce damage to lipids, proteins and DNA differed depending on the field level applied, modulation of the field and duration of E. fetida exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic radiation. Nature of detected DNA lesions and oxidative stress as the mechanism of action for the induction of DNA damage are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirta Tkalec
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Cucurachi S, Tamis WLM, Vijver MG, Peijnenburg WJGM, Bolte JFB, de Snoo GR. A review of the ecological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2013; 51:116-140. [PMID: 23261519 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2012.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article presents a systematic review of published scientific studies on the potential ecological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in the range of 10 MHz to 3.6 GHz (from amplitude modulation, AM, to lower band microwave, MW, EMF). METHODS Publications in English were searched in ISI Web of Knowledge and Scholar Google with no restriction on publication date. Five species groups were identified: birds, insects, other vertebrates, other organisms, and plants. Not only clear ecological articles, such as field studies, were taken into consideration, but also biological articles on laboratory studies investigating the effects of RF-EMF with biological endpoints such as fertility, reproduction, behaviour and development, which have a clear ecological significance, were also included. RESULTS Information was collected from 113 studies from original peer-reviewed publications or from relevant existing reviews. A limited amount of ecological field studies was identified. The majority of the studies were conducted in a laboratory setting on birds (embryos or eggs), small rodents and plants. In 65% of the studies, ecological effects of RF-EMF (50% of the animal studies and about 75% of the plant studies) were found both at high as well as at low dosages. No clear dose-effect relationship could be discerned. Studies finding an effect applied higher durations of exposure and focused more on the GSM frequency ranges. CONCLUSIONS In about two third of the reviewed studies ecological effects of RF-EMF was reported at high as well as at low dosages. The very low dosages are compatible with real field situations, and could be found under environmental conditions. However, a lack of standardisation and a limited number of observations limit the possibility of generalising results from an organism to an ecosystem level. We propose in future studies to conduct more repetitions of observations and explicitly use the available standards for reporting RF-EMF relevant physical parameters in both laboratory and field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Cucurachi
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Singh HP, Sharma VP, Batish DR, Kohli RK. Cell phone electromagnetic field radiations affect rhizogenesis through impairment of biochemical processes. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2012; 184:1813-1821. [PMID: 21562792 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2080-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Indiscriminate adoption and use of cell phone technology has tremendously increased the levels of electromagnetic field radiations (EMFr) in the natural environment. It has raised the concerns among the scientists regarding the possible risks of EMFr to living organisms. However, not much has been done to assess the damage caused to plants that are continuously exposed to EMFr present in the environment. The present study investigated the biochemical mechanism of interference of 900 MHz cell phone EMFr with root formation in mung bean (Vigna radiata syn. Phaseolus aureus) hypocotyls, a model system to study rhizogenesis in plants. Cell phone EMFr enhanced the activities of proteases (by 1.52 to 2.33 times), polyphenol oxidases (by 1.5 to 4.3 times), and peroxidases (by 1.5 to 2.0 times) in mung bean hypocotyls over control. Further, EMFr enhanced malondialdehyde (an indicator of lipid peroxidation), hydrogen peroxide, and proline content, indicating a reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative damage in hypocotyls. It was confirmed by the upregulation in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase) suggesting their possible role in providing protection against EMFr-induced oxidative damage. The study concluded that cell phone radiations affect the process of rhizogenesis through biochemical alterations that manifest as oxidative damage resulting in root impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harminder Pal Singh
- Department of Environment and Vocational Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
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Sharma VP, Singh HP, Kohli RK, Batish DR. Mobile phone radiation inhibits Vigna radiata (mung bean) root growth by inducing oxidative stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2009; 407:5543-5547. [PMID: 19682728 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2009] [Revised: 07/03/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
During the last couple of decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of cell phones. It has significantly added to the rapidly increasing EMF smog, an unprecedented type of pollution consisting of radiation in the environment, thereby prompting the scientists to study the effects on humans. However, not many studies have been conducted to explore the effects of cell phone EMFr on growth and biochemical changes in plants. We investigated whether EMFr from cell phones inhibit growth of Vigna radiata (mung bean) through induction of conventional stress responses. Effects of cell phone EMFr (power density: 8.55 microW cm(-2); 900 MHz band width; for 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 h) were determined by measuring the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in terms of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) content, root oxidizability and changes in levels of antioxidant enzymes. Our results showed that cell phone EMFr significantly inhibited the germination (at > or =2 h), and radicle and plumule growths (> or =1 h) in mung bean in a time-dependent manner. Further, cell phone EMFr enhanced MDA content (indicating lipid peroxidation), and increased H(2)O(2) accumulation and root oxidizability in mung bean roots, thereby inducing oxidative stress and cellular damage. In response to EMFr, there was a significant upregulation in the activities of scavenging enzymes, such as superoxide dismutases, ascorbate peroxidases, guaiacol peroxidases, catalases and glutathione reductases, in mung bean roots. The study concluded that cell phone EMFr inhibit root growth of mung bean by inducing ROS-generated oxidative stress despite increased activities of antioxidant enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ved Parkash Sharma
- Department of Environment and Vocational Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
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Belyaev I. Nonthermal Biological Effects of Microwaves: Current Knowledge, Further Perspective, and Urgent Needs. Electromagn Biol Med 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/15368370500381844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Homenko A, Kapilevich B, Kornstein R, Firer MA. Effects of 100 GHz radiation on alkaline phosphatase activity and antigen-antibody interaction. Bioelectromagnetics 2009; 30:167-75. [PMID: 19051324 DOI: 10.1002/bem.20466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Equipment that generates microwave radiation (MWR) spanning the frequency range of 300 MHz-100 GHz is becoming more common. While MWR lacks sufficient energy to break chemical bonds, the disagreement as to whether MWR exposure is detrimental to cellular dysfunction may be difficult to clarify using complex systems such as whole animals, cells, or cell extracts. Recently, the high frequency range of terahertz (THz) radiation has been explored and sources of radiation and its detectors have been developed. THz radiation is associated with the frequency interval from 100 GHz to 20 THz and constitutes the next frontier in imaging science and technology. In the present study, we investigated the effect of radiation in the low frequency THz range (100 GHz) on two defined molecular interactions. First, the interaction of soluble or immobilized calf alkaline phosphatase with the substrate p-nitrophenylphosphate and second, the interaction between an antibody (mouse monoclonal anti-DNP) and its antigen (DNP). Irradiation of enzyme either prior to addition of substrate or during the enzymatic reaction resulted in small but significant reductions in enzyme activity. These differences were not observed if the enzyme had previously been immobilized onto plastic microwells. Exposure of immobilized antigen to radiation did not influence the ability of the antigen to interact with antibody. However, irradiation appeared to decrease the stability of previously formed antigen-antibody complexes. Our data suggest that 100 GHz radiation can induce small but statistically significant alterations in the characteristics of these two types of biomolecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Homenko
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Mousavy SJ, Riazi GH, Kamarei M, Aliakbarian H, Sattarahmady N, Sharifizadeh A, Safarian S, Ahmad F, Moosavi–Movahedi AA. Effects of mobile phone radiofrequency on the structure and function of the normal human hemoglobin. Int J Biol Macromol 2009; 44:278-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2009.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Scherr C, Simon M, Spranger J, Baumgartner S. Effects of potentised substances on growth rate of the water plant Lemna gibba L. Complement Ther Med 2009; 17:63-70. [PMID: 19185263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2008.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2007] [Revised: 08/22/2008] [Accepted: 10/28/2008] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigated, whether the growth rate of Lemna gibba L. (duckweed) can be influenced by the application of homeopathic potencies of gibberellic acid, kinetin, argentum nitricum, and lemna minor. METHODS Duckweed was grown in either potencies (14x-30x, decimal steps) or water controls (unsuccussed and succussed) over seven days. Frond (leaf-like structure) growth was measured using a non-destructive image analysis system. Growth rates were calculated for three time intervals (0-7, 0-3, 3-7 days). Five to six independent, randomized and blinded experiments were analysed for each of the four tested substances. Water control experiments were performed repeatedly to test the reliability of the experimental set-up (systematic negative controls). RESULTS The systematic negative control experiments did not yield any significant effects. Hence, false positive results could be excluded. The test system had a low coefficient of variation (1.5%). Out of the four tested substances gibberellic acid had the most pronounced effect (p=0.0002, F-test) on the main outcome parameter frond growth rate (r(area) day 0-7). Potency levels 15x, 17x, 18x, 23x and 24x reduced growth rate of Lemna gibba (p<0.05 against the pooled water control, LSD test). CONCLUSIONS Lemna gibba may be considered as a suitable test organism for further studies on the efficacy of homeopathic potencies. Evidence accumulates, that adjacent potency levels may strongly differ in their biological activity. Potential consequences for therapeutical application might be worth investigating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Scherr
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse, Frick, Switzerland.
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Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on seed germination and root meristematic cells of Allium cepa L. MUTATION RESEARCH-GENETIC TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENESIS 2009; 672:76-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2008.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2007] [Revised: 08/03/2008] [Accepted: 09/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Engelmann JC, Deeken R, Müller T, Nimtz G, Roelfsema MRG, Hedrich R. Is gene activity in plant cells affected by UMTS-irradiation? A whole genome approach. Adv Appl Bioinform Chem 2008; 1:71-83. [PMID: 21918607 PMCID: PMC3169933 DOI: 10.2147/aabc.s3570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile phone technology makes use of radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields transmitted through a dense network of base stations in Europe. Possible harmful effects of RF fields on humans and animals are discussed, but their effect on plants has received little attention. In search for physiological processes of plant cells sensitive to RF fields, cell suspension cultures of Arabidopsis thaliana were exposed for 24 h to a RF field protocol representing typical microwave exposition in an urban environment. mRNA of exposed cultures and controls was used to hybridize Affymetrix-ATH1 whole genome microarrays. Differential expression analysis revealed significant changes in transcription of 10 genes, but they did not exceed a fold change of 2.5. Besides that 3 of them are dark-inducible, their functions do not point to any known responses of plants to environmental stimuli. The changes in transcription of these genes were compared with published microarray datasets and revealed a weak similarity of the microwave to light treatment experiments. Considering the large changes described in published experiments, it is questionable if the small alterations caused by a 24 h continuous microwave exposure would have any impact on the growth and reproduction of whole plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Engelmann
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Scherr C, Simon M, Spranger J, Baumgartner S. Test system stability and natural variability of a Lemna gibba L. bioassay. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3133. [PMID: 18769541 PMCID: PMC2518950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2008] [Accepted: 07/31/2008] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In ecotoxicological and environmental studies Lemna spp. are used as test organisms due to their small size, rapid predominantly vegetative reproduction, easy handling and high sensitivity to various chemicals. However, there is not much information available concerning spatial and temporal stability of experimental set-ups used for Lemna bioassays, though this is essential for interpretation and reliability of results. We therefore investigated stability and natural variability of a Lemna gibba bioassay assessing area-related and frond number-related growth rates under controlled laboratory conditions over about one year. Methology/Principal Findings Lemna gibba L. was grown in beakers with Steinberg medium for one week. Area-related and frond number-related growth rates (r(area) and r(num)) were determined with a non-destructive image processing system. To assess inter-experimental stability, 35 independent experiments were performed with 10 beakers each in the course of one year. We observed changes in growth rates by a factor of two over time. These did not correlate well with temperature or relative humidity in the growth chamber. In order to assess intra-experimental stability, we analysed six systematic negative control experiments (nontoxicant tests) with 96 replicate beakers each. Evaluation showed that the chosen experimental set-up was stable and did not produce false positive results. The coefficient of variation was lower for r(area) (2.99%) than for r(num) (4.27%). Conclusions/Significance It is hypothesised that the variations in growth rates over time under controlled conditions are partly due to endogenic periodicities in Lemna gibba. The relevance of these variations for toxicity investigations should be investigated more closely. Area-related growth rate seems to be more precise as non-destructive calculation parameter than number-related growth rate. Furthermore, we propose two new validity criteria for Lemna gibba bioassays: variability of average specific and section-by-section segmented growth rate, complementary to average specific growth rate as the only validity criterion existing in guidelines for duckweed bioassays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Scherr
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, Switzerland.
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Scherr C, Simon M, Spranger J, Baumgartner S. Duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) as a test organism for homeopathic potencies. J Altern Complement Med 2008; 13:931-7. [PMID: 18047439 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2007.0506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A bioassay with duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) was used to study the effects of homeopathic potencies on the plant's growth rate. Screening included 12 substances: argentum nitricum, copper sulfate, gibberellic acid, 3-indole acetic acid, kinetin, lactose, lemna minor, methyl jasmonate, metoxuron, phosphorus, potassium nitrate, and sulfur. Each substance was tested in the potency range 14x-30x. Controls were unsuccussed and succussed water. DESIGN In randomized and blinded experiments, duckweed was grown in either potentized substances or water controls over 7 days. Frond (leaf) growth was measured regularly with a computerized image analysis system and growth rates were calculated for different time intervals (day 0-7, 0-3, 3-7). Additionally, a water control run with unsuccussed water as the only test substance was performed to determine the variability of the bioassay. RESULTS For the water control run, the between-group coefficient of variance for groups of five replicates was 0.87% for the frond area-related average specific growth rate r(area) compared to 1.60% for the frond number-related average specific growth rate r(num). Thus, the former is the preferred parameter to be used. Of twelve tested substances, potentized argentum nitricum, phosphorus, and kinetin significantly (p<0.05, analysis of variance F-test) affected the main parameter: frond area-related average specific growth rate (day 0-7). Segmented area growth rates (day 0-3 or 3-7) were affected by potentized argentum nitricum, gibberellic acid, lactose, and phosphorus. CONCLUSIONS The described experimental set-up with L. gibba as test organism appears to be a promising new model system to investigate effects of potentized substances. Yet larger sets of replication experiments with selected test substances and systematic negative controls are necessary to verify the effects found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Scherr
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, Switzerland.
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Tkalec M, Malarić K, Pevalek-Kozlina B. Exposure to radiofrequency radiation induces oxidative stress in duckweed Lemna minor L. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2007; 388:78-89. [PMID: 17825879 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2006] [Revised: 07/19/2007] [Accepted: 07/27/2007] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Widespread use of radiofrequency radiation emitting devices increased the exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from 300 MHz to 300 GHz. Various biological effects of exposure to these fields have been documented so far, but very little work has been carried out on plants. The aim of the present work was to investigate the physiological responses of the plant Lemna minor after exposure to radiofrequency EMFs, and in particular, to clarify the possible role of oxidative stress in the observed effects. Duckweed was exposed for 2 h to EMFs of 400 and 900 MHz at field strengths of 10, 23, 41 and 120 V m(-1). The effect of a longer exposure time (4 h) and modulation was also investigated. After exposure, parameters of oxidative stress, such as lipid peroxidation, H(2)O(2) content, activities and isoenzyme pattern of antioxidative enzymes as well as HSP70 expression were evaluated. At 400 MHz, lipid peroxidation and H(2)O(2) content were significantly enhanced in duckweed exposed to EMFs of 23 and 120 V m(-1) while other exposure treatments did not have an effect. Compared to the controls, the activities of antioxidative enzymes showed different behaviour: catalase (CAT) activity increased after most exposure treatments while pyrogallol (PPX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were not changed. Exceptions were reduced PPX and APX activity after longer exposure at 23 V m(-1) and increased PPX activity after exposures at 10 and 120 V m(-1). By contrast, at 900 MHz almost all exposure treatments significantly increased level of lipid peroxidation and H(2)O(2) content but mostly decreased PPX activity and did not affect CAT activity. Exceptions were exposures to a modulated field and to the field of 120 V m(-1) which increased PPX and CAT activity. At this frequency APX activity was significantly decreased after exposure at 10 V m(-1) and longer exposure at 23 V m(-1) but it increased after a shorter exposure at 23 V m(-1). At both frequencies no differences in isoenzyme patterns of antioxidative enzymes or HSP70 level were found between control and exposed plants. Our results showed that non-thermal exposure to investigated radiofrequency fields induced oxidative stress in duckweed as well as unspecific stress responses, especially of antioxidative enzymes. However, the observed effects markedly depended on the field frequencies applied as well as on other exposure parameters (strength, modulation and exposure time). Enhanced lipid peroxidation and H(2)O(2) content accompanied by diminished antioxidative enzymes activity caused by exposure to investigated EMFs, especially at 900 MHz, indicate that oxidative stress could partly be due to changed activities of antioxidative enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirta Tkalec
- Department of Botany, Division of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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