Publication

Absence of nonlinear responses in cells and tissues exposed to RF energy at mobile phone frequencies using a doubly resonant cavity

Kowalczuk, C.
; 
Yarwood, G.
; 
Blackwell, R.
; 
Priestner, M.
; 
Sienkiewicz, Z.
; 
Bouffler, S.
; 
Ahmed, I.
; ; 
Excell, Peter S.
; 
Hodzic, V.
... show 3 more
Publication Date
2010
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Keywords
Animals, Cell Line, Cell survival, Cellular phone, Cricetinae, Electromagnetic fields, Humans, Male, Mice, Nonlinear dynamics, Organ specificity, Radio waves, Tissue survival, REF 2014
Rights
Peer-Reviewed
Open Access status
Accepted for publication
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Engineering and Digital Technology Publications
Show all metadata
Additional title
Abstract
A doubly resonant cavity was used to search for nonlinear radiofrequency (RF) energy conversion in a range of biological preparations, thereby testing the hypothesis that living tissue can demodulate RF carriers and generate baseband signals. The samples comprised high-density cell suspensions (human lymphocytes and mouse bone marrow cells); adherent cells (IMR-32 human neuroblastoma, G361 human melanoma, HF-19 human fibroblasts, N2a murine neuroblastoma (differentiated and non-differentiated) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells) and thin sections or slices of mouse tissues (brain, kidney, muscle, liver, spleen, testis, heart and diaphragm). Viable and non-viable (heat killed or metabolically impaired) samples were tested. Over 500 cell and tissue samples were placed within the cavity, exposed to continuous wave (CW) fields at the resonant frequency (f) of the loaded cavity (near 883 MHz) using input powers of 0.1 or 1 mW, and monitored for second harmonic generation by inspection of the output at 2f. Unwanted signals were minimised using low pass filters (</= 1 GHz) at the input to, and high pass filters (>/= 1 GHz) at the output from, the cavity. A tuned low noise amplifier allowed detection of second harmonic signals above a noise floor as low as -169 dBm. No consistent second harmonic of the incident CW signals was detected. Therefore, these results do not support the hypothesis that living cells can demodulate RF energy, since second harmonic generation is the necessary and sufficient condition for demodulation.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10454/6058
Version
Citation
Kowalczuk C, Yarwood G, Blackwell R et al (2010) Absence of nonlinear responses in cells and tissues exposed to RF energy at mobile phone frequencies using a doubly resonant cavity. Bioelectromagnetics 31(7): 556-565.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1002/bem.20597
Type
Article
Qualification name
Notes