A comprehensive mechanism of biological and health effects of anthropogenic extremely low frequency and wireless communication electromagnetic fields.

Exposure to anthropogenic electromagnetic fields (EMF), especially those from wireless communications (WC) and mobile telephony (MT), has increased dramatically. This phenomenon is unprecedented in biological evolution because all anthropogenic EMFs are fully polarized and coherent. Especially EMFs from wireless communications significantly differ from natural EMFs. Several experimental studies have found a link between the exposure of laboratory animals or cells to anthropogenic ELF or WC EMF/EMR and oxidative stress (OS) due to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and genetic damage/alterations (DNA damage, chromosomal damage, and mutations). In several of these studies, OS and/or DNA damage, resulting in cell death, were observed in the reproductive cells of various animals, leading to reduced reproduction or embryonic death. This genetic damage in reproductive cells explains other findings that link EMF exposure to infertility in insects, birds, and mammals (including humans), as well as to miscarriages and declines in bird and insect populations (especially bees), over the last 20 years.

However, some studies have found no effects of ELF or WC EMF/EMR exposure, especially those that used signal generators with invariable parameters and no modulation. In contrast, effects were found in more than 95% of studies that used real MT/WC exposure from commercially available devices (mobile/wireless phones and Wi-Fi) with high signal variability. Regardless of whether the exposure was real or simulated, about 70% of experimental studies found effects with either radiofrequency (combined with ELF) or pure ELF-EMF. Human-made EMFs with frequencies down to the lower limit of infrared radiation cannot directly break chemical bonds or cause ionization. How, then, are human-made EMFs at environmental intensities able to ionize DNA and other biological molecules? What unique property enables human-made EMFs to cause adverse biological and health effects unlike natural EMFs, including sunlight? Studies have shown that this unique property lies in the polarization and coherence associated with low frequency variability (ULF/ELF).

In the present study, Panagopoulos and Yakymenko et al. provide an updated description of how human-made EMFs at non-thermal levels trigger dysfunction in voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) in cell membranes. This induces the overproduction of ROS and OS, which are responsible for most known adverse biological and health effects, including DNA damage and related pathologies.

Biochemistry of radical oxygen species:

The electron transport chain (ETC) in the inner mitochondrial membrane is a major source of ROS in all cells and probably accounts for 50–90% of total cellular ROS production under normal conditions. In spermatozoa exposed to WC-EMF, electron leakage from the ETC was found to originate from complex III when tested alongside complex III inhibitors. When considering the mitochondrial causes of OS, Ca²+ plays a key role. While a physiological increase in mitochondrial Ca²+ can stimulate ATP production when energy demand is high, it can also lead to increased ROS formation. Excessive Ca²+ accumulation can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, decreasing ATP production and more importantly further increasing ROS production and apoptotic factors. Ca²+ can affect mitochondria by regulating important mitochondria-specific dehydrogenases. Therefore, careful control of mitochondrial Ca²+ levels is essential for ROS homeostasis. EMF-induced disruption of Ca²+ channels can lead to ROS overproduction.

NADPH/NADH oxidases (NOXs) catalyze the production of free superoxide anions by transferring electrons from NAD(P)H to oxygen. NOXs are also activated by cytosolic Ca²+ and have a Ca²+-binding site in addition to their H+ voltage-gated channel. NOXs can account for 10–30% of total ROS production in neurons under basal conditions. However, their contribution can increase significantly during neuronal activation or inflammation. NOXs have been identified as an important target for human-induced EMFs.

Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are specific enzymes found in all animal and plant cells that produce nitric oxide free radicals (NO•). An increase in Ca²+ and NO- concentrations in cells has been found to be triggered very rapidly (within a few seconds) by EMF exposure. The induction of DNA damage by peroxynitrite is blocked by NOS inhibitors and antioxidants.

Furthermore, disruption of voltage-gated Na+ , K+ , Mg²+ and Ca²+ ion channels (VGICs) impairs the function of Na+/K+ pumps (ATPase) and Ca²+ pumps in plasma membranes of all cells. In addition to its role as an ion pump, the Na+/K+-ATPase acts as a signal regulator that transmits signals from the plasma membrane to intracellular organelles. It also normalizes the Na+/K+ balance in cells, for example, after disruption of VGICs. It is well known that ELF EMFs affect the activity of Na+/K+-ATPase and that changes in its activity are related to ROS production in the mitochondria. Martin Pall found a link between EMF-induced dysfunction of voltage-gated calcium channels and NO•/ONOO- overproduction. In the presence of H+, peroxynitrite can easily decompose to OH• and NO2-.

The superoxide anion radical (O2•−), produced by mitochondria or NADH/NADPH oxidase (NOX) is catalyzed by superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the cytosol or mitochondria and converted to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). H2O2 can reach any location in the cell, including the nucleus, where it can be converted to the highly potent hydroxyl radical (OH•), which can damage any biological molecule, including DNA.

Anthropogenic EMFs and VGICs:

Normally, voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) switch between open and closed states in response to membrane voltage changes of ≥ 30 mV, which exert forces on their voltage sensors. More specifically, VGICs respond to changes between -30 and -100 mV. VGICs can also respond to very weak polarized, coherent, and slowly fluctuating EMFs down to 10-⁵ V/m via the forced oscillation that such EMFs induce on moving ions in close proximity (< 1 nm) to the sensors (ion forced oscillation: IFO). The IFO-VGIC mechanism postulates that biological activity is proportional to EMF intensity and inversely proportional to frequency. Thus, the effects reported in the literature are caused by low frequency (ULF/ELF/VLF) EMFs, not high frequency (pure radiofrequency/microwave) EMFs. In addition, pulsed EMFs are significantly more bioactive than their continuous (non-pulsed) counterparts. VGICs do not simply respond to the presence of an unchanging (static) electric field; otherwise, they would constantly open and close chaotically, and life could not be sustained. For this reason, the geomagnetic field (GMF) is not particularly bioactive under normal conditions but becomes bioactive when the normal intensity changes by about 20% during magnetic storms. Dysfunction of ion channels affects otherwise carefully controlled intracellular ion concentrations, disturbing the cell's electrochemical balance and homeostasis, including its intracellular redox status, an index of its ROS content. The ROS regulatory system is closely linked to the Ca²+ signaling system. Dysfunction of the Ca²+ channels in the plasma or mitochondrial membrane leads to an interruption of the signaling system and an increase in the ROS concentration in the cell. Therefore, ion channel malfunction leads to ROS overproduction, which further amplifies ion channel malfunction. Clearly, we are dealing here with a vicious cycle in which VGIC dysfunction leads to OS in cells, which disrupts the ion channels further and leads to even more pronounced OS.

All human-generated EMFs are fully polarized and coherent. In most cases, they have low frequency (ELF/ULF/VLF) intensity fluctuations, meaning they have net electric and magnetic fields oscillating in one direction and in phase at ELF/ULF/VLF rates. These conditions lead to parallel and coherent low frequency forced oscillations of mobile ions and other charged or polar molecules in living tissue. According to the IFO-VGIC mechanism, the non-thermal biological and health effects described in the literature are specifically induced by low frequency components of an RF signal, not the high frequency EMF itself. This explains why non-thermal effects previously attributed to RF EMFs disappear in the absence of low frequency modulation or pulsation. According to the authors, it follows that pure RF/microwave EMFs can only cause heating of biological tissue. For cells whose genomic DNA is irreparably damaged by EMF-induced ROS, the possible consequences are cell senescence or cell death, which can lead to aging, organic or neurodegenerative diseases, reproductive problems, cancer, or mutated offspring.

Human-made EMFs, especially the most harmful ones emitted by mobile phone antennas and devices and power lines, have become a new reality of modern life. Every day, billions of people are exposed to them. Although they are significantly less cytotoxic than radioactivity or certain toxic chemicals, human-made EMFs are an evolutionarily novel and extremely persistent daily cytotoxic agent against which existing repair mechanisms may not be effective enough. This is especially true for individuals who are already genetically or epigenetically damaged. According to the authors, a prerequisite for the therapeutic effect of applied EMFs is the simulation of natural EMFs or physiological endogenous cellular signals. Natural atmospheric electromagnetic "Schumann" resonances (7.83 Hz) and their harmonics are fundamental frequencies detected in human and animal brain activity. The physical parameters of electromagnetic brain activity and atmospheric flashes show striking similarities. Therefore, the authors hypothesize that pulsed EMFs should have optimal therapeutic effects at frequencies that match Schumann frequencies or endogenous ionic oscillations in cells. These frequencies should also be biologically compatible or beneficial.

Editor's note:

If this assumption is correct, this could significantly reduce the toxic effects of ELF-pulsed EMFs by making the low frequency components of the signal as similar as possible to natural Schumann resonances. (AT)