Reply to the letter by Vijayalaxmi et al

Genotoxic effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in cultured mammalian cells are not independently reproducible

Conflicting results have been published regarding the induction of genotoxic effects by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Using the comet assay, the micronucleus test and the chromosome aberration test with human fibroblasts (ES1 cells), the EU-funded "REFLEX" project (Risk Evaluation of Potential Environmental Hazards From Low Energy Electromagnetic Field Exposure Using Sensitive in vitro Methods) reported clearly positive effects for various exposure conditions. Because of the ongoing discussion on the biological significance of the effects observed, it was the aim of the present study to independently repeat the results using the same cells, the same equipment and the same exposure conditions. We therefore exposed ES1 cells to RF-EMF (1800 MHz; SAR 2 W/kg, continuous wave with intermittent exposure) for different time periods and then performed the alkaline (pH>13) comet assay and the micronucleus test (MNT). For both tests, clearly negative results were obtained in independently repeated experiments. We also performed these experiments with V79 cells, a sensitive Chinese hamster cell line that is frequently used in genotoxicity testing, and also did not measure any genotoxic effect in the comet assay and the MNT. Appropriate measures of quality control were considered to exclude variations in the test performance, failure of the RF-EMF exposure or an evaluation bias. The reasons for the difference between the results reported by the REFLEX project and our experiments remain unclear.

Cytogenetic Studies in Human Blood Lymphocytes ExposedIn Vitroto 2.45 GHz or 8.2 GHz Radiofrequency Radiation

Peripheral blood samples collected from healthy human volunteers were exposed in vitro to 2.45 GHz or 8.2 GHz pulsed-wave radiofrequency (RF) radiation. The net forward power, average power density, mean specific absorption rate, and the temperature maintained during the 2-h exposure of the cells to 2.45 GHz or 8.2 GHz were, respectively, 21 W or 60 W, 5 mW/cm(2) or 10 mW/cm(2), 2.13 W/kg or 20.71 W/kg, and 36.9 +/- 0.1 degrees C or 37.5 +/- 0.2 degrees C. Aliquots of the same blood samples that were either sham-exposed or exposed in vitro to an acute dose of 1.5 Gy gamma radiation were used as unexposed and positive controls, respectively. Cultured lymphocytes were examined to determine the extent of cytogenetic damage assessed from the incidence of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei. Under the conditions used to perform the experiments, the levels of damage in RF-radiation-exposed and sham-exposed lymphocytes were not significantly different. Also, there were no significant differences in the response of unstimulated lymphocytes and lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin when exposed to 8.2 GHz RF radiation. In contrast, the positive control cells that had been subjected to gamma irradiation exhibited significantly more damage than RF-radiation- and sham-exposed lymphocytes.