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Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (UMTS, 1,950 MHz) induce genotoxic effects in vitro in human fibroblasts but not in lymphocytes

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Abstract

Objective

Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) was recently introduced as the third generation mobile communication standard in Europe. This was done without any information on biological effects and genotoxic properties of these particular high-frequency electromagnetic fields. This is discomforting, because genotoxic effects of the second generation standard Global System for Mobile Communication have been reported after exposure of human cells in vitro.

Methods

Human cultured fibroblasts of three different donors and three different short-term human lymphocyte cultures were exposed to 1,950 MHz UMTS below the specific absorption rate (SAR) safety limit of 2 W/kg. The alkaline comet assay and the micronucleus assay were used to ascertain dose and time-dependent genotoxic effects. Five hundred cells per slide were visually evaluated in the comet assay and comet tail factor (CTF) was calculated. In the micronucleus assay 1,000 binucleated cells were evaluated per assay. The origin of the micronuclei was determined by fluorescence labeled anticentromere antibodies. All evaluations were performed under blinded conditions.

Results

UMTS exposure increased the CTF and induced centromere-negative micronuclei (MN) in human cultured fibroblasts in a dose and time-dependent way. Incubation for 24 h at a SAR of 0.05 W/kg generated a statistically significant rise in both CTF and MN (P = 0.02). At a SAR of 0.1 W/kg the CTF was significantly increased after 8 h of incubation (P = 0.02), the number of MN after 12 h (P = 0.02). No UMTS effect was obtained with lymphocytes, either unstimulated or stimulated with Phytohemagglutinin.

Conclusion

UMTS exposure may cause genetic alterations in some but not in all human cells in vitro.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by the Austrian Workers Compensation Board, Vienna, Austria, the Verum Foundation, Munich, Germany, and the Austrian Science Fund FWF (project number P18984-B09). The authors gratefully acknowledge the value assistance of Marietta Weninger and Petra Hartbauer and thank Dr Elisabeth Ponocny-Seliger for helpful statistical advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Claudia Schwarz, Elisabeth Kratochvil, Alexander Pilger & Hugo W. Rüdiger

  2. Verum, Foundation for Behavior and Environment, Munich, Germany

    Franz Adlkofer

  3. Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland

    Niels Kuster

Authors
  1. Claudia Schwarz
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  2. Elisabeth Kratochvil
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  3. Alexander Pilger
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  4. Niels Kuster
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  5. Franz Adlkofer
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  6. Hugo W. Rüdiger
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Correspondence to Hugo W. Rüdiger.

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Schwarz, C., Kratochvil, E., Pilger, A. et al. Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (UMTS, 1,950 MHz) induce genotoxic effects in vitro in human fibroblasts but not in lymphocytes. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 81, 755–767 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0305-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0305-5

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