ID Number		1034
Study Type		In Vitro
Model		1800 MHz, 2 GHz (CW, GSM, W-CDMA) exposure to cell lines and analysis of DNA breaks and micronuclei
Details		Human fibroblasts and rat granulosa cells were exposed to 1800 MHz (CW, GSM, intermittent [5 minutes on/10 minutes off], and talk-modulated) at SARs of 1.2 or 2 W/kg for 4, 16, or 24 hours. DNA was analyzed for single strand breaks by neutral comet assay and double strand breaks by alkaline comet assay. Dosimetric evaluation was reported indicating a fairly uniform exposure (non-uniformity < 30%). The authors report exposure for 16 hours or more resulted in increased single- and double-strand breaks, with GSM and intermittent signals having a greater effect than CW signals. Similar studies presented at BEMS (2003) Maui, Hawaii reported increased micronuclei in cultured muscle cells exposed to 1950 MHz (GSM) RF for 24 hours at 1 W/kg (5 min. on/ 10 min. off, no transients). In a related study, the authors report ~2x increase in DNA strand breaks as well as micronuclei following exposure to 2 GHz UMTS exposure at both 1 and 2 W/kg and for either 16 or 24 hours (but not 4 hours). Subsequent reports (EBEA 2007) reported significant DNA damage at both 0.1 and 0.5 W/kg for 4 hours. In a 2008 publication, the authors evaluated human primary fibroblasts from 3 different donors vs. primary lymphocyte cultures following exposure to 2 GHz UMTS for 24 hours at various SAR levels. The authors report increased DNA breaks in fibroblasts exposed at o.05 W/kg and above in a time-dose dependent manner, but no effects in lymphocytes (either stimulated or unstimulated with PHA)
Findings		Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		University of Vienna, Austria
Funding Agency		EU, VERUM, Germany, REFLEX, EU 5th Framework, Europe
Country		AUSTRIA
References		Schwarz, C et al. Int Arch Occup Environ Health., (2008) 81:755-767 Diem, E et al. Mutation Research., (2005) 583:178-183 Vijayalaxmi, Mutation Research, (2006) 603:104-106 Rudiger, HW Int Arch Occup Environ Health, (2009) 82:279-283 Lerchl, A Int Arch Occup Environ Health., (2008) 82:275-278 Lerchl, A et al. Mutat Res., (2010) 697:60-65 Rudiger, HW Mutat Res., (2009) 673:2-(one page) Adlkofer, F Mutat Res Genet Toxicol Environ Mutagen., (2014) 771:71-72 Drexler, H et al. International archives of occupational and environmental health., (2009) 82:143-144 Tuffs, A BMJ., (2008) 336:1270-
Comments		Sham and exposed values in the study were remarkably consistent (~ 4%; maximum effect ~ 8-9 % of comet tail factor). There were questions regarding the blindedness by S. Johnson and Vijaylaxmi when they went to visit the lab in Austria. The 1800 MHz exposure system was built and provided by Kuster / ITIS. The group has no previously experience with the Comet assay, and reported similar effects at 60 Hz (Ivancsits 2005). A letter to the editor (Vijay 2006) detailed several potential flaws in the paper. Subsequent comments by Wolf et al (#3745) show how easy it may have been to manipulate the datamanipulated data.