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Wireless Radiation and DNA damage

Cell tower Credit: Wikipedia

We love our wireless stuff - cell phones, laptops, and so many other devices. Manufacturers making these devices say the wireless radiation exposure from these devices is safe, but is it? Independent researchers have been raising concerns for years over wireless radiation (RF radiofrequency electromagnetic field or RF-EMF) exposures, while industry researchers say it's completely safe. Which is it?

Australian researchers recently analyzed more than 500 scientific studies and found that "evidence reveals that RF-EMF exposures may be genotoxic (damaging to DNA) and could pose a cancer risk". They pointed out that:

"Genetic alteration [damage] is a well-established trigger for cancer development (10). Genotoxicity is the ability of a physical or chemical agent to induce genetic damage, which may result in genetic mutations (11), and represents a critical pathway to cancer."

They also found strong evidence of bias in research design and results, with the funding of each study most important in determining results. 74% of the studies (done by independent researchers) reported genetic damage in both humans and animals from wireless radiation exposure. On the other hand, industry research funded by industry tended to find that there are no problems to health ("null results").

Now needed: Time for manufacturers to focus on lowering wireless radiation from the devices, antennas that point away from the body, and more caution and research on 5G towers and radiation.

From Environmental Health News: Wireless radiation exposure linked to DNA damage

A recent review published in Frontiers in Public Health analyzing more than 500 studies found that a substantial body of scientific research has reported genetic damage from wireless radiation exposure in both humans and animals.

    • Over half of the studies showing DNA damage found impacts at wireless exposure levels below the safety limits of most countries.

    • Sensitivity to genetic damage varied by cell type, with reproductive cells (testicular, sperm, and ovarian) and brain cells appearing especially vulnerable.
    • Studies suggest that oxidative stress and free radical production may be among the key pathways through which wireless radiation impacts DNA.

Key quote:

“Over half of the studies reporting DNA damage used exposures below the current ICNIRP safety limits, suggesting that the thresholds used in current standards may not adequately protect against long-term or non-thermal biological effects. This raises broader public health questions that deserve open discussion.”

Why this matters:

Wireless radiation has long been regarded as incapable of damaging DNA because it is a non-ionizing type of electromagnetic (EMF) radiation (as opposed to ionizing forms of radiation such as x-rays and nuclear radiation). However, this analysis documents a substantial body of research reporting that wireless radiation exposure can lead to genetic impacts, despite its non-ionizing nature.

Previous reviewshave found that non-ionizing EMF can alter genes in ways consistent with genetic damage.

Genetic damage is a well-established trigger for cancer development. Multiple studies have linked wireless radiation exposure to an increased risk for tumors, including glioblastoma brain canceracoustic neuromasthyroid cancer, and prostate cancer. Current U.S. regulations for wireless radiation remain outdated — unchanged since 1996 — and are only set to protect against overheating, not genetic or other health effects.

The authors of this study recommend the adoption of a precautionary approach for wireless technologies, including designing devices with lower wireless radiation and antennas that direct emissions away from the body.

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