ID Number		1665
Study Type		In Vitro
Model		1800 MHz (CW, GSM) exposure to cell lines and analysis of DNA damage by comet assay and micronuclei (replication of Diem, Rudiger et al. / REFLEX)
Details		Human fibroblasts (ES1) and Chinese hamster (V9) cells were exposed to 1800 MHz (CW, GSM, intermittent [5 minutes on/10 minutes off], and talk-modulated) at an SARs 2 W/kg for 4, 16, or 24 hours in a replication of Rudiger et al. DNA damage was assessed using the alkaline COMET assay, and micronuclei using the MNT test. The authors did not observe any statistically significant effects. AUTHORS'ABSTRACT: Speit et al. 2013 (IEEE #5280): Conflicting results have been published regarding the induction of genotoxic effects by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Various results indicating a genotoxic potential of RF-EMF were reported by the collaborative EU-funded REFLEX (Risk Evaluation of Potential Environmental Hazards From Low Energy Electromagnetic Field Exposure Using Sensitive in vitro Methods) project. There has been a long-lasting scientific debate about the reliability of the reported results and an attempt to reproduce parts of the results obtained with human fibroblasts failed. Another part of the REFLEX study was performed in Berlin with the human lymphoblastoid cell line HL-60; genotoxic effects of RF-EMF were measured by means of the comet assay and the micronucleus test. The plausibility and reliability of these results were also questioned. In order to contribute to a clarification of the biological significance of the reported findings, a repeat study was performed, involving scientists of the original study. Comet-assay experiments and micronucleus tests were performed under the same experimental conditions that had led to genotoxic effects in the REFLEX study. Here we report that the attempts to reproduce the induction of genotoxic effects by RF-EMF in HL-60 cells failed. No genotoxic effects of RF-EMF were measured in the repeat experiments. We could not find an explanation for the conflicting results. However, the negative repeat experiments suggest that the biological significance of genotoxic effects of RF-EMF reported by the REFLEX study should be re-assessed.
Findings		No Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Univ Ulm, FRG
Funding Agency		REFLEX, EU 5th Framework, Europe
Country		GERMANY
References		Speit, G et al. Mutation Res, (2007) 626:42-47 Speit, G et al. Mutat Res., (2013) 755:163-166 Speit, G Mutat Res Genet Toxicol Environ Mutagen., (2014) 771:73-74
Comments		Performed as a replication of earlier published REFLEX papers (i.e., Diem and Rudiger et al.)- did not replicate.