Authored By:
Zhao et alSummary:
This in vivo experimental study examined the impact of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) exposure on the expression and immune cell production on rats. Rats were split up into 3 groups, two of the groups were exposed to RF EMF at frequencies of either 1.5 or 4.3 gigahertz (GHz) and with a power density of 100 W/m2 for 6 minutes. The third group were exposed to both frequencies for 6 minutes each. The authors reported statistically significant changes in expression and number of immune cells at 6 hours, 7 days and 14 days post exposure compared to rats not exposed to RF EMF. Similarly, a statistically significant increase in the expression of cytokines at 6 hours and 7 days was noted. The study concluded that RF EMF could cause immune suppression at the given exposure.
Published In:
International Journal of Molecular ScienceThe high level of RF EMF exposures used in the study would not be generally encountered by the public in the everyday environment. The exposure level used in the study is up to 13 times that of the maximum permissible whole body public exposure level (7.5 - 10 W/m2) (RPS S-1). Given the high exposure employed in the study the reported effects may have been due to heating.
Previous studies have looked at the effects of RF EMF exposure on the immune system and conflicting results have been reported (Ohtani et al 2015, Yao et al 2020). The overall evidence of the impact of RF EMF on the immune system has been reviewed by Public Health England’s Independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation. This review concluded that there is no compelling evidence that exposure to low level RF EMF has an adverse effect on the immune system (HPA, 2012). Further, in reviewing the scientific literature overall it remains ARPANSA’s conclusion that there is no substantiated evidence that RF EMF exposure, below the limits set in RPS S-1, causes any health effects, including effects on the immune system.
