Microwave absorption by normal and tumor cells

5G mobile networks and health-a state-of-the-science review of the research into low-level RF fields above 6 GHz

The increased use of radiofrequency (RF) fields above 6 GHz, particularly for the 5 G mobile phone network, has given rise to public concern about any possible adverse effects to human health. Public exposure to RF fields from 5 G and other sources is below the human exposure limits specified by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This state-of-the science review examined the research into the biological and health effects of RF fields above 6 GHz at exposure levels below the ICNIRP occupational limits. The review included 107 experimental studies that investigated various bioeffects including genotoxicity, cell proliferation, gene expression, cell signalling, membrane function and other effects. Reported bioeffects were generally not independently replicated and the majority of the studies employed low quality methods of exposure assessment and control. Effects due to heating from high RF energy deposition cannot be excluded from many of the results. The review also included 31 epidemiological studies that investigated exposure to radar, which uses RF fields above 6 GHz similar to 5 G. The epidemiological studies showed little evidence of health effects including cancer at different sites, effects on reproduction and other diseases. This review showed no confirmed evidence that low-level RF fields above 6 GHz such as those used by the 5 G network are hazardous to human health. Future experimental studies should improve the experimental design with particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control. Future epidemiological studies should continue to monitor long-term health effects in the population related to wireless telecommunications.

Quantitative evaluations of mechanisms of radiofrequency interactions with biological molecules and processes

The complexity of interactions of electromagnetic fields up to 10(12) Hz with the ions, atoms, and molecules of biological systems has given rise to a large number of established and proposed biophysical mechanisms applicable over a wide range of time and distance scales, field amplitudes, frequencies, and waveforms. This review focuses on the physical principles that guide quantitative assessment of mechanisms applicable for exposures at or below the level of endogenous electric fields associated with development, wound healing, and excitation of muscles and the nervous system (generally, 1 to 10(2) V m(-1)), with emphasis on conditions where temperature increases are insignificant (<<1 K). Experiment and theory demonstrate possible demodulation at membrane barriers for frequencies < or =10 MHz, but not at higher frequencies. Although signal levels somewhat below system noise can be detected, signal-to-noise ratios substantially less than 0.1 cannot be overcome by cooperativity, signal averaging, coherent detection, or by nonlinear dynamical systems. Sensory systems and possible effects on biological magnetite suggest paradigms for extreme sensitivity at lower frequencies, but there are no known radiofrequency (RF) analogues. At the molecular level, vibrational modes are so overdamped by water molecules that excitation of molecular modes below the far infrared cannot occur. Two RF mechanisms plausibly may affect biological matter under common exposure conditions. For frequencies below approximately 150 MHz, shifts in the rate of chemical reactions can be mediated by radical pairs and, at all frequencies, dielectric and resistive heating can raise temperature and increase the entropy of the affected biological system.

Cell-to-cell communication in response of E. coli cells at different phases of growth to low-intensity microwaves

Effects of millimeter waves (MMW) at the frequency of 51.755 GHz were studied in logarithmic and stationary E. coli cells at various cell densities. The changes in the genome conformational state (GCS) were analyzed by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependence (AVTD). Before lysis, the cells were adjusted to the cell density of 4x10(7) cells/ml and all AVTD measurements were run at this cell density. Stationary cells responded to MMW by increase in AVTD, while the same MMW exposure decreased AVTD in logarithmic cells. MMW effects depended on cell density during exposure and were stronger for stationary cells. The observed dependence on cell density suggested a cell-to-cell communication between cells during exposure to microwaves. Decrease in power density (PD) resulted in more striking differences between responses at different cell densities. The data provided evidence that intercellular communication in response to MMW depended on cell status and PD of microwaves. The MMW effects were studied in more detail at low intensity of 10(-17) W/cm(2) in the range of cell densities 4x10(7) to 8x10(8) cells/ml. The obtained sigmoid-like dependence of MMW effect on cell density saturated at approximately 5x10(8) cells/ml. The dependence of MMW effect on cell density was very similar in this study and in previous studies with weak extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). The data suggested that cell-to-cell communication might be involved in response of cells to weak EMF of various frequency ranges.

Influence of a periodic field on the distant electron transfer in biological systems

Generalization of the Marcus transfer rate is derived for the case of a dissipative long-range donor-acceptor electron transfer (ET) mediated by specific bridging electron pathways in biological systems and driven by ac-electric field. High-frequency electric field is shown to block and even to invert the transfer if a specific relation between amplitude and frequency of the ac-field is fulfilled.

Glial tumoral proliferation induces changes in the state and physical properties of water during ENU-induction of brain tumors in rats

Modifications of water state were analyzed during ethylnitrosourea-induction of brain tumor in rats. Four different steps were identified in the cancerization process according to NMR and histological findings. Two analogies were observed in the pattern of bound' water at decreasing temperatures: first the pattern was similar in tumor area and white matter, second the pattern was similar in the same area of normal brain tissue and cortical gray matter. This phenomenon, which corroborates previous reports on liver cancerization, points out that pathological proliferation of glial cells, and their progressive organization into multiple layers, is accompanied by a transformation of water properties at the cellular level.

Resonance effect of millimeter waves in the power range from 10(-19) to 3 x 10(-3) W/cm2 on Escherichia coli cells at different concentrations

The effect of millimeter waves (MMWs) on the genome conformational state (GCS) of E. coli AB1157 cells was studied by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependencies (AVTD) in the frequency range of 51.64-51.85 GHz. The 51.755 GHz resonance frequency of the cell reaction to MMWs did not depend on power density (PD) in the range from 10(-19) to 3 x 10(-3) W/cm2. The half-width of the resonant reaction of cells showed a sigmoid dependence on PD, changing from 3 MHz to 100 MHz. The PD dependence of the half-width had the same shape for different concentrations of exposed cells (4 x 10(7) and 4 x 10(8) cells/ml), whereas the magnitude of the 51.755 GHz resonance effect differed significantly and depended on the PD of MMW exposure. Sharp narrowing of the 51.755 GHz resonance in the PD range from 10(-4) to 10(-7) W/cm2 was followed by an emergence of new resonance frequencies. The PD dependence of the MMW effect at one of these resonance frequencies (51.674 GHz) differed markedly from the corresponding dependence at the 51.755 GHz resonance, the power window occurring in the range from 10(-16) to 10(-8) W/cm2. The results obtained were explained in the framework of a model of electron-conformational interactions. The frequency-time parameters of this model appeared to be in good agreement with experimental data.

Some basic properties of biological tissues for potential biomedical applications of millimeter waves

The paper gives the highlights of the reports in the literature on sharp, distinct resonances in the absorption and action spectra at millimeter wavelengths of various biochemicals, and bacteriological and biological preparations. If true, these properties may be employed for in-vitro diagnostic applications and form a basis for frequency-specific health hazards and for new forms of cancer therapy. Carefully performed experiments in our laboratory have failed to reveal frequency-specific biological effects on BHK-21/C13 mammalian cells, on induction of lambda prophages in lysogenic Escherichia coli and on back-mutation of His Salmonella typhimurium cells. Also on account of the high absorbance of water (13--36 dB/mm) which is an essential part of living tissues, little or no differences have been observed for the absorption spectra biological samples in the 26.5 to 90.0 GHz band. Dielectric characterization of the biological samples is needed and may form a basis for broadband differences in the millimeter wave absorption by various tissues.

Millimeter wave absorption spectra of biological samples

A solid-state computer-controlled system has been used to make swept-frequency measurements of absorption of biological specimens from 26.5 to 90.0 GHz. A wide range of samples was used, including solutions of DNA and RNA, and suspensions of BHK-21/C13 cells, Candida albicans, C krusei, and Escherichia coli. Sharp spectra reported by other workers were not observed. The strong absorbance of water (10--30 dB/mm) caused the absorbance of all aqueous preparations that we examined to have a water-like dependence on frequency. Reduction of incident power (to below 1.0 microW), elimination of modulation, and control of temperature to assure cell viability were not found to significantly alter the water-dominated absorbance. Frozen samples of BHK-21/C13 cells tested at dry ice and liquid nitrogen temperatures were found to have average insertion loss reduced to 0.2 dB/cm but still showed no reproducible peaks that could be attributed to absorption spectra. It is concluded that the special resonances reported by others are likely to be in error.

Clinical requirements for localized hyperthermia in the patient

The physical and mechanical parameters to be considered when contemplating hyperthermia as a cancer treatment modality are discussed. These parameters include heat field size, uniformity of heating, method of hyperthermic production, selection of energy, heat flow, warm-up period and thermometry.