“Low Dose EMFs may cause Severe Health Effects”

“Low dose” exposure to EMF may cause “severe health effects”
(according to Swiss EMF scientific experts)

Here’s a summary of the report – for the full report see the link at bottom of the page.

January 23, 2021

A research review by an expert committee (BERENIS) convened by the Swiss government concludes that exposure to a “low dose” of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields may cause “severe health effects” in the young and elderly and in people with immune deficiencies or diseases

Meike Mevissen, David Schürmann: Is there evidence for oxidative stress caused by electromagnetic fields? A summary of relevant observations in experimental animal and cell experiments related to health effects in the last ten years. BERENIS – The Swiss expert group on electromagnetic fields and non-ionizing radiation Newsletter – Special Issue January 2021.

Introduction

This special issue of the BERENIS newsletter contains an up-to-date assessment of a possible correlation between oxidative stress and exposure to magnetic and electromagnetic fields and their putative effects on health. For this purpose, relevant animal and cell studies published between 2010 and 2020 were identified and summarized. An extended report presenting these recent studies in more detail will be published soon by the FOEN1. This special issue contains a short version of the report.

Conclusions

In summary, the majority of the animal and more than half of the cell studies provided evidence of increased oxidative stress caused by RF-EMF [radio frequency – electromagnetic fields] or ELF-MF [extremely low frequency – magnetic fields]. This notion is based on observations in a large number of cell types, applying different exposure times and dosages (SAR [Specific Absorption Rate] or field strengths), also in the range of the regulatory limits. Certainly, some studies are burdened with methodological uncertainties and weaknesses or are not very comprehensive in terms of exposure time, dose, number and quantitative analysis of the biomarkers used, to name a few. Taking these methodological weaknesses into account, nonetheless, a tendency becomes apparent, namely that EMF exposure, even in the low dose range, can lead to changes in oxidative balance. Organisms and cells are generally able to react to oxidative stress, and many studies showed adaptation to EMF exposure after a recovery phase. Pre-existing conditions, such as immune deficiencies or diseases (diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases), compromise the body’s defense mechanisms, including antioxidative protection, and it is, therefore, possible that individuals with these conditions experience more severe health effects. In addition, the studies show that very young and elderly individuals can react less efficiently to oxidative stress induced by EMF, which of course also applies to other stressors that cause oxidative stress. More extensive studies under standardized conditions are necessary, to better understand and confirm these phenomena and observations.