Effects of pre and postnatal 2450 MHz continuous wave (CW) radiofrequency radiation on thymus: Four generation exposure

Indirect effects of interference of two emerging environmental contaminants on cell health: Radiofrequency radiation and gold nanoparticles

BACKGROUND

The global need for wireless technologies is growing rapidly. So, we have been exposed to a new type of environmental pollution: radiofrequency radiation (RFR). Recent studies have shown that RFR can cause not only direct effects but also indirect or non-targeted effects such as the bystander effect (BE). In this study, we investigated the BE induced by RFR in the present of gold nanoparticles (GNP). Moreover, we studied the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).

METHODS

Non-toxic dose of 15-nm GNP was used to treat the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. After 48 h of incubation, cells were exposed to 900 MHz GSM RFR for 24 h. Then we collected the cell culture medium of these cells (conditioned culture medium, CCM) and transferred it to new cells (bystander cells). Cell deaths, DNA breaks, oxidative stress and COX-2 expression were analyzed in all groups.

RESULTS

The results showed that RFR increased metabolic death in cells treated with GNP. Inversely, the colony formation ability was reduced in bystander cells and RFR exposed cells either in the presence or absence of GNP. Also, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in GNP treated cells showed a significant reduction compared to those of untreated cells. However, RFR-induced DNA breaks and the frequencies of micronuclei (MN) were not significantly affected by GNP. The expression of COX-2 mRNA increased in RFR GNP treated cells, but the difference was not significant.

CONCLUSION

Our results for the first time indicated that RFR induce indirect effects in the presence of GNP. However, the molecular mediators of these effects differ from those in the absence of GNP. Also, to our knowledge, this is the first study to show that COX-2 is not involved in the bystander effect induced by 900 MHz RFR.

Wireless technologies, non-ionizing electromagnetic fields and children: Identifying and reducing health risks

Children today are conceived and live in a sea of wireless radiation that did not exist when their parents were born. The launch of the digital age continues to transform the capacity to respond to emergencies and extend global communications. At the same time that this increasingly ubiquitous technology continues to alter the nature of commerce, medicine, transport and modern life overall, its varied and changing forms have not been evaluated for their biological or environmental impacts. Standards for evaluating radiation from numerous wireless devices were first set in 1996 to avoid heating tissue and remain unchanged since then in the U.S. and many other nations. A wide range of evidence indicates that there are numerous non-thermal effects from wireless radiation on reproduction, development, and chronic illness. Many widely used devices such as phones and tablets function as two-way microwave radios, sending and receiving various frequencies of information-carrying microwave radiation on multiple simultaneously operating antennas. Expert groups advising governments on this matter do not agree on the best approaches to be taken. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limited screen time for children under the age of two, but more than half of all toddlers regularly have contact with screens, often without parental engagement. Young children of parents who frequently use devices as a form of childcare can experience delays in speech acquisition and bonding, while older children report feelings of disappointment due to 'technoference'-parental distraction due to technology. Children who begin using devices early in life can become socially, psychologically and physically addicted to the technology and experience withdrawal upon cessation. We review relevant experimental, epidemiological and clinical evidence on biological and other impacts of currently used wireless technology, including advice to include key questions at pediatric wellness checkups from infancy to young adulthood. We conclude that consistent with advice in pediatric radiology, an approach that recommends that microwave radiation exposures be As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) seems sensible and prudent, and that an independently-funded training, research and monitoring program should be carried out on the long term physical and psychological impacts of rapidly changing technological milieu, including ways to mitigate impacts through modifications in hardware and software. Current knowledge of electrohypersensitivity indicates the importance of reducing wireless exposures especially in schools and health care settings.