ELECTROHYPERSENSITIVITY: INPUT OF MECHANISTIC STUDIES WITH

LOW-INTENSITY RADIOFREQUENCY AND EXTREMELY LOW

FREQUENCY ELCTROMAGNETIC FIELDS

Igor Belyaev

Laboratory of Radiobiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Slovak Academy of

Science

Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Laboratory of Radiobiology, Institute of General Physics, Russian Academy of

Science, Moscow, Russia

Igor.Beliaev@savba.sk

Electromagnetic

spectrum

The wavy line at the right

illustrates the concept that

the higher the frequency, the

more rapidly the field varies.

The fields do not vary at 0

Hz (direct current) and vary

trillions of times per second

near the top of the spectrum.

MOBILE PHONES EMIT BOTH ELF AND MICROWAVES :

EMF of extremely low

frequency (ELF) (up

to 20 µT)

Microwaves (MW)

(SAR up to 2 W/kg)

Many groups over the

world described various

biological responses to

weak ELF and non-

thermal microwaves

(MW) at intensities

below ICNIRP safety

limits

Bioinitiative Group 2012

www.bioinitiative.org

International Commission for

Electromagnetic Safety (ICEMS) 2010

The aim of this presentation is

to provide an overview of the

complex dependence of the

ELF/MW effects on various

physical and biological

parameters. The role of these

parameters was

acknowledged by the recent

monograph of the

International Agency for

Research on Cancer (IARC)

on carcinogenicity of

radiofrequency EMF (possible

carcinogen, group 2B).

Anomalous viscosity time dependence (AVTD) similar to

Neutral comet assay measures relaxation and condensation of

DNA loops

0 200 400 600 800 1000

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

EtBr, 50 g/ml

control

EtBr, 2 mg/ml

Peri

od

of

rota

tio

n, T

(s)

Time of measurement (s)

Control

EtBr, 2 mg/ml,

condensation

EtBr, 50 g/ml

relaxationI. Y. Belyaev, S. Eriksson, J. Nygren, J. Torudd, and M. Harms-

Ringdahl, Biochim Biophys Acta, vol. 1428, pp. 348-356, 1999

Frequency window in the ELF effect on chromatin conformation.

Individual response of lymphocytes from healthy subjects

to ELF (21 T rms) (AVTD)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1,0

1,1

1,2

Donor A, mean of 6

Donor B, mean of 6MA

XIM

UM

RE

LA

TIV

E V

ISC

OS

ITY

FREQUENCY, Hz

Belyaev and Alipov, Biochim Biophys Acta, vol. 1526, pp. 269-276, 2001

5/22/2015 8

ELF effects on chromatin conformation were transient and

disappeared with time after exposure.

Human lymphocytes exposed to 21 T rms, 20 min

0 30 60 90 120 150 180

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1,0

1,1

1,2

8 Hz

58 HzMA

XIM

UM

R

EL

AT

IVE

V

ISC

OS

ITY

TIME AFTER EXPOSURE, min

Sarimov, Alipov, Belyaev,

Bioelectromagnetics, 2011

50 Hz magnetic fields

individually affect

chromatin

conformation in

human lymphocytes:

dependence on

amplitude,

temperature, and

initial chromatin state

Genomic differences influenced response to ELF

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

0,90

0,95

1,00

1,05

1,10

1,15

1,20

1,25

1,30

1,35

1,40

EXPOSURE OF E. COLI OF TWO STRAINS TO ELF

AB1157

EMG2

MA

XIM

UM

R

EL

AT

IVE

V

ISC

OS

ITY

FREQUENCY, Hz

Alipov and Belyaev, Bioelectromagnetics, vol. 17, pp. 384-387, 1996

EGTA binds divalent ions and minimize the

ELF effects on E. coli cells

0 50 100 150 200

1,0

1,2

1,4

control level

ELF, 9 Hz, 21T

ELF and EGTA

DN

A d

eko

nd

en

seri

ng

TIME AFTER EXPOSURE TO ELF, min

Glycerol scavenges radicals and abolishes ELF

effects on E. coli cells

0 50 100 150

0,9

1,0

1,1

1,2

1,3

1,4

1,5

1,6

ELF, 21 T, 9 Hz

ELF and glycerol

DN

A d

eko

nd

en

seri

ng

TIME AFTER EXPOSURE TO ELF, min

5/22/2015 13

Dependence of the ELF effect on cell density,

stage of cell growth

1x108

2x108

3x108

4x108

5x108

6x108

7x108

8x108

0,6

0,8

1,0

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2,0 stationary cells

logarithmic cells

control level

Ma

xim

um

re

lati

ve

vis

co

sit

y

Cell density during exposure, cell/ml

ELF effects on E. coli AB1157 were dependent

on static collinear magnetic field

0,9

1

1,1

1,2

1,3

1,4

7 8 9 10 11Frequency, Hz

MR

V

43,6 uT 126-133 uT

ELF effects depend on Biological and Physical Variables

•Individual traits

•Genetic background

•Frequency, intensity, static magnetic

field

•Temperature, initial state, presence of

radicals/radical scavengers/antioxidants

and ions,…….

Microwaves (MW)

SAR – specific absorbed

energy, W/kg

(analogues to dose rate in

Radiobiology)

- Thermal effects - heating

- Nonthermal effects – no

heating

Frequency dependent effects of MW at low intensities

comparable with intensities produced by base stations

51,65 51,70 51,75 51,80 51,85

0,90

0,95

1,00

1,05

1,10

1,15

1,20

1,25

1,30

1,35

1,40

Exposure of E. coli to MMW at 10-10

W/cm2, 10 min

MA

XIM

UM

R

EL

AT

IVE

V

ISC

OS

ITY

FREQUENCY, GHz

I. Y. Belyaev, V. S. Shcheglov, Y. D. Alipov, and V. A. Polunin, Bioelectromagnetics, vol.

17, pp. 312-321, 1996

5/22/2015 18

MW resonance effect depend on cell density suggesting

cell-to-cell interaction during response

-20 -15 -10 -5 0

1,0

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2,0

Exposure of cells to MMW at 51.755 GHz, 10 min

4x108 cells/ml

4x107 cells/ml

MA

XIM

UM

R

EL

AT

IVE

V

ISC

OS

ITY

LOGARITHM OF PD (W/cm2)

Decreasing of intensity by orders of magnitude could

be compensated by increasing of exposure time

(1) 10-14 W/cm2;

(2) 10-16 W/cm2;

(3) 10-17 W/cm2;

(4) 10-18 W/cm2;

I. Y. Belyaev, Y. D. Alipov, V. S.

Shcheglov, V. A. Polunin, and O.

A. Aizenberg, Electro- and

Magnetobiology, vol. 13, pp. 53-

66, 1994.

-0,1

0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Exposure time, min

Ma

xim

um

re

lati

ve

vis

co

sit

y

1 2 3 4

5/22/2015 20

• Changing of static magnetic

field by 20 T

abolished resonance effect of

MW on E. coli cells

During a single call, GSM users are exposed to

microwaves at different frequencies

•There are 124 different channels/frequencies,

which are used in GSM900 (Global System for

Mobile Communication). They differ by 0.2 MHz

in the frequency range between 890 MHz and 915

MHz. Frequency is supplied by base station to a

mobile phone user depending on the number of

connected users. The frequency can be changed

by base station during the same call.

How various mobile phone channels affect human

lymphocytes from hyperelectrosensitive and

healthy subjects?

Dummy

Load

Circulator

Dummy

Load

TEM-

cellConnected to

power meter

Directional

coupler

Test

phone

The test-mobile phone is

programmed to select a

GSM/UMTS frequency

channel, and 0.25 W

output power.

Non-thermal microwave exposure of

human differentiated and stem cells in

different frequency channels

Distribution of specific absorption rate (FDTD-METHOD)

Exposure to 3G/1947 MHz and GSM/915 MHz MW inhibit

formation of 53BP1 foci in human lymphocytes from healthy

and hyperelectrosensitive persons similar to heat shock

53BP1 foci (stained in green) after 1-h exposure of human

lymphocytes (counterstained in blue) with MW and heat shock

Control 905 MHz 915 MHz 410C

Persistent inhibition of DNA repair foci in human lymphocytes

following 1 h exposure to 3G/UMTS and 915 MHz GSM (similar to

heat shock). No effect at 905 MHz.

10 hypersens. + normal donors

0.00010.0001

0.0001

0.0001 0.006

0.0001 0.0001

0.0001

0,00

1,00

2,00

37oC,

sham

905 MHz 915 MHz UMTS 41oC

53

BP

1 f

oc

i/c

ell

0 h 24 h 72 h

10 hypersens. + normal donors

0.0001

0.0010.0001

0.002

0.0001

0.0010.0004

0,00

1,00

2,00

37oC, sham 905 MHz 915 MHz UMTS 41oC

H2A

X f

oci/

cell

0 h 24 h 72 h

From Belyaev et al., Biolectromagnetics, 2009

Human mesenchymal stem cells were most sensitive to

915 MHz GSM and 1947 MHz UMTS MW-exposure

Control 50 Hz

915 MHz 410C

human stem cells

p<0.001p<0.001p<0.001

p<0.001p<0.002p<0.006

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

sham

GSM

905 MHz

GSM

915 MHz

GSM

sham

UMTS

UMTS 41oC

foc

i/c

ell

1 h 3 h

From Markova et al., Env Health Perspectives, 2010

Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent cells capable of giving rise to cells of

mesodermal origin, including bone, cartilage, fat, tendon, and muscle

Conclusions

Our results and analysis of available data suggest that different EMF signals

(bandwidth, frequency, modulation, polarization) should be considered

separately when studying EMF biological effects including

electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

The data also indicate that durations of exposure and post-exposure are

important parameters for setting up the EMF effects.

Taken into account the EMF response time kinetics, individual sensitivity,

variation in physiology, and dependence on physical parameters it

follows that more conditions of exposure should be validated in studies

of electrohypersensitivity. In view of complex dependence of the EMF

effects on physiological state of the object, individual sensitivity,

physical parameters of exposure, duration and time after exposure the

provocation studies should not be considered informative regarding

exposure to all real exposures including cell phones because only minor

part of these parameters (frequency, modulation, duration of exposure et

cetera) have been analyzed.

Significant body of studies show that ELF/MW effects depend on

concentration of divalent metals, ROS and antioxidants. These studies

provide a mechanistic background for the treatment of

electrohypersensitivity based on chelating divalent metals, reducing

ROS, and balancing vitamins.