Cellphone toxicology, exposure assessment and epidemiology—an update Interagency Task Force on Radiofrequency Devra Lee Davis, PhD, MPH November 13, 2012 Thank You! Collaborators

• Ashok Agarwal, Cleveland Clinic • Igor Belyaev, National Cancer Institute of Slovakia/Institute of General Physics, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia • Andreas Christ, formerly with IT’IS, Switzerland • Alvaro DeSalles, University of Porto Allegre • Suleyman Kaplan, Ondokuz Mayıs Medical Univ. • Lukas Margaritis and Adamantia Fragopoulou, University of Athens, Greece • Lloyd Morgan, Susan F. Dixon, Ron Herberman, EHT • Nesrin Seyhan, Gazi University, Ankara • Hugh Taylor, Yale University (MW) exposure safety standards • Current safety standards are most often based on thermal effects of in acute exposures, 2 W/kg ICNIRP (International Commission for Non- Protection) • Power flux density (PD) or specific absorption rate (SAR, “dose rate”) is often used for guidelines. • Dose = (SAR  exposure duration) is not used for assessment of microwave exposures • Safety standards significantly, up to 1000 times, vary between countries • Why?

3 The impact of non-thermal mobile phone radiation depends on the nature of the waves and conditions of exposure

•Frequency •Modulation •Polarization •Coherence time •Dose and duration •Intermittence •Electromagnetic environment

4 Do not take without permission Courtesy of Margaritis et al Decreasing of intensity by orders of magnitude was compensated by 4-fold increasing of exposure time

0,5 1 2 3 4 -14 2 0,4 (1) 10 W/cm ; (2) 10-16 W/cm2; 0,3 (3) 10-17 W/cm2; 0,2 (4) 10-18 W/cm2; 0,1

Maximumviscosityrelative 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

-0,1 Exposure time, min

I. Y. Belyaev, Y. D. Alipov, V. S. Shcheglov, V. A. Polunin, and O. A. Aizenberg, Electro- and 5 Magnetobiology, vol. 13, pp. 53-66, 1994. 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.

6 Non-thermal microwave exposure of human differentiated and stem cells in different frequency channels Directional coupler Circulator

The test-mobile phone is programmed to select a GSM/UMTS frequency TEM- channel, and 0.25 W Dummy Connected to cell output power. Load power meter Test phone

Dummy Load

Distribution of specific absorption rate (FDTD-METHOD) 7 Probability for one or more hits per cell at the Molecularlevel ofmarkers residual (-H2AX, foci 53BP1) as calculated of DNA double using-strand breaksPoisson (DSB), statistics which are used fits toto visualize dose responseand quantify doublefor strand breaks (DSB) by apoptosisenumeration of DNA repair foci by means confocal laser microscopy and immunofluorescence

VH-10 cells, 12 h following irradiation with 3 Gy 8 E. Markova, N. Schultz, and I. Y. Belyaev, Int J Radiat Biol, vol. 83, pp. 319-329, May 2007. Inhibitory effects of 915 MHz GSM and UMTS on DNA repair foci remain 72 h after exposure of human lymphocytes to MW. No effect at 905 MHz

2,00

2,00 0 h 24 h 72 h

0 h 24 h 72 h 10 hypersens. + normal donors

10 hypersens. + normal donors

1,00 1,00 0.0004 0.001 0.002 0.0001 0.0001 0.006 H2AX foci/cell H2AX 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.001

53BP1 foci/cell 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001

0,00 0,00 37oC, 905 MHz 915 MHz UMTS 41oC 37oC, sham 905 MHz 915 MHz UMTS 41oC sham

Both molecular markers, -H2AX и 53BP1, show the same results

9 Microwaves completely blocked DNA repair foci in stem cells with multiple DNA damage

1 human stem cells 15% Sham GSM 905 MHz 915 MHz 1 h 3 h 0,8

10% 0,6

Frequency p<0.01 0,4 5% p<0.02 p<0.02

Cells with > 10 foci >10 with Cells p<0.006 p<0.006 p<0.006 0,2 0% sham 905 MHz 915 MHz sham UMTS 41oC 0 GSM GSM GSM UMTS 0 5 10 15 20 25 Foci/cell

10 Human stem cells were more sensitive to microwave exposure than differentiated human cells and more responsive to GSM frequency channels

7 7

6 6 1 h 2 h 3 h human fibroblasts 1 h 2 h 3 h human stem cells 5 5

4 4

3

3 foci/cell foci/cell

2 2 ** *** ** *** * ** ** *** ** ** ** * * * 1 ** *** 1 *** ** 0 0 sham 905 MHz 915 MHz sham UMTS 41oC sham 905 MHz 915 MHz sham UMTS 41oC GSM GSM GSM UMTS GSM GSM GSM UMTS

11 Contrary to differentiated cells, human mesenchymal stem cells did not adapt to effects of MW during chronic exposure

7 chronic exposure 6

Exposure 5 during 2 weeks, stem cells VH10 1 hour daily 4

3 foci/cell

2 * * 1

0 sham GSM 905 MHz 915 MHz sham UMTS GSM GSM UMTS

12 Results with stem cells may be especially important because different cancer types (tumors and leukemia) originate from stem cells by well-known genetic and recently suggested epigenetic mechanisms

Feinberg AP et al. (2005) The epigenetic progenitor origin of human cancer Nat Rev gene. 7: 21–33 doi:10.1038/nri1748

13 Key References

Belyaev, I. (2010). Dependence of non-thermal biological effects of microwaves on physical and biological variables: implications for reproducibility and safety standards. European Journal of Oncology - Library NON-THERMAL EFFECTS AND MECHANISMS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND LIVING MATTER. An ICEMS Monograph. L. Giuliani and M. Soffritti. Bologna, Italy, RAMAZZINI INSTITUTE, http://www.icems.eu/papers.htm?f=/c/a/2009/12/15/MNHJ1B49KH.DTL. Vol. 5: 187-218. Belyaev, I. Y., L. Hillert, et al. (2005). "915 MHz microwaves and 50 Hz magnetic field affect chromatin conformation and 53BP1 foci in human lymphocytes from hypersensitive and healthy persons." 26(3): 173-184. Belyaev, I. Y., E. Markova, et al. (2009). "Microwaves from UMTS/GSM mobile phones induce long-lasting inhibition of 53BP1/g-H2AX DNA repair foci in human lymphocytes." Bioelectromagnetics 30(2): 129-141. Markova, E., L. Hillert, et al. (2005). "Microwaves from GSM Mobile Telephones Affect 53BP1 and gamma-H2AX Foci in Human Lymphocytes from Hypersensitive and Healthy Persons." Environ Health Perspect 113(9): 1172-1177. Markova, E., L. O. G. Malmgren, et al. (2010). "Microwaves from Mobile Phones Inhibit 53BP1 Focus Formation in Human Stem Cells More Strongly Than in Differentiated Cells: Possible Mechanistic Link to Cancer Risk." Environmental Health Perspectives 118(3): 394- 399. Sarimov, R., E. D. Alipov, et al. (2011). "Fifty hertz magnetic fields individually affect chromatin conformation in human lymphocytes: dependence on amplitude, temperature, and initial chromatin state." Bioelectromagnetics 32(7): 570-579. 14 Fetal Programming Evaluated

Radiation exposed 33 pregnant mice

42 pregnant controls Hyperactivity, Diminished Memory and Reduced Anxiety Diminished Effect with Decreased Exposure Controlled Experiments with Human Material-- sperm

Cell Phone Exposed Not Exposed

Do not take without permission Cross-sectional analysis finds Reduced Sperm Count in Heaviest cellphone users

Millions/ml 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 No <2 h/day 2h/day >4 h/day Use

Agarawal, Cleveland Clinic, 2008; and 4 other studies

www.environmentalhealthtrust.org Laureate Professor John Aitken

Exposed Sperm were Significantly Reduced & damaged

Do not take without permission Controlled Experiments Find Sperm Count and Vitality

AitkenSignificantly group, 2009, PLOS Worsened by RF ://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2714176/pdf/pone.0006446.pdf http

Do not take without permission

No Regrets Policies

Normalized SAR for the mother and the fetus exposed to a dipole antenna in front of the abdomen (frequency is 450 MHz because of larger penetration depth (courtesy Andreas Christ)) Brief Update from Monte Verita

• Non-thermal effects are demonstrated • Inadequate protection of children/pregnancy/testes • Increasing RF/EMF medical applications – Novocure.com – Pasche cutting edge therapy – http://www.novocure.com/ttf_therapy.php?ID= 16 Public Service Announcments

• Mayor Mark Barron: Hi, this is Mayor Mark Barron. The town of Jackson recently initiated • The Cell Phone Safety Awareness Campaign promotes safe cell phone use in our schools. But we want everyone to be • safe. We understand that when it comes to how we use our cell phones, it's better to be safe than sorry. The • World Health Organization says, "The radiation from cell phones can be a possible cause of cancer". It's easy to • be safe with your phone. Keep it away from your head and your body. Use a headset or speakerphone. And if • you're not driving, then text. For more information, go to www.environmentalhealthtrust.org Remember, • distance is your friend. Keep your phone away from your head.