Review. The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community - Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects

2020 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 1655

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2020

Study typereview

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Review. The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community - Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects Czerwiński M, Januszkiewicz L, Vian A, Lázaro.A. Review. The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community - Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects. Ecological Indicators. 108, January 2020, 105683. doi.org. Highlights • There are various indicators of microwave radiation impact on herbaceous vegetation. • The best indicators are some parameters of vegetation canopy or individual plants. • Specific plant functional groups may be indicators of long-term community processes. • Other organisms interacting with plants, e.g. pollinators, should also be cons idered. • The selection of indicators depends on the propagation of radiation in the canopy. Abstract Environmental exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) from mobile telephony has rapidly increased in the last two decades and this trend is expected to continue. The effects of this exposure at plant community level are unknown and difficult to assess in a scientifically appropriate manner. Such an assessment can be scientifically adequate if a studied plant community is completely new and control-impact radiation treatment is used. In this review we aimed to predict ecological effects and identify indicators of the impact of bioactive RF-EMFs at the mobile telephony frequency range on plant communities. We considered the scenario where a plant community was exposed to radiation generated by a base transmitting station antenna mounted on a nearby mast. This plant community can be represented by mesic meadow, ruderal or arable weed community, or other herbaceous, moderately productive vegetation type. We concentrated primarily on radiation effects that can be recorded for a year since the exposure started. To predict them we used physical theories of radiowave propagation in vegetation and the knowledge on plants physiological responses to RF-EMF. Our indicators can be used for the detection of the impact of RF-EMFs on vegetation in a control-impact experiment. The identified indicators can be classified into the following groups: (1) canopy parameters; (2) plant characteristics to be measured in the field or laboratory in a number of individuals that represent the populations of selected species; (3) community weighted means/medians (CWMs) of plant traits and strategies; (4) the abundance of other organisms that interact with plants and can influence their fitness or population size. The group of canopy parameters includes mean height, vertical vegetation structure and dry weight of above- ground standing phytomass. Plant characteristics requiring biometric sampling in the field are plant height, the number of fruits and seeds, as well as seed viability. The group of plant traits that are calculated as CWMs covers seed releasing height, seed dispersal mode, SLA, leaf orientation, month of germination and flowering, Ellenberg's light indicator value, and the proportion of individuals in the classes of competitors and stress tolerators according to Grime's CSR strategy scheme. The group of "non-plant" indicators includes primarily the frequency of flower visits by beetles, wasps, hoverflies, and bees that have their nests over ground. To detect ecological responses that occur for the first year since a herbaceous community has been exposed to potentially bioactive RF-EMF, the first two indicators groups should be used. sciencedirect.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typereview

Effect directionunclear

PopulationHerbaceous plant communities (e.g., mesic meadow, ruderal or arable weed community)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF · primarily effects recordable within ~1 year since exposure started (scenario described)

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

This review proposes potential ecological effects and a set of indicators for detecting impacts of mobile-telephony-range RF-EMF on herbaceous plant communities, particularly in a control-impact experimental design. Suggested indicators include canopy parameters (e.g., mean height, vertical structure, above-ground phytomass), individual plant measures (e.g., height, fruit/seed number, seed viability), community-weighted trait metrics, and frequencies of flower visits by certain insects; for detecting responses within the first year, canopy and individual-plant indicator groups are emphasized.

Outcomes measured

Indicators of RF-EMF impact on plant communities (canopy parameters, plant characteristics, community-weighted trait means/medians, interacting organisms such as pollinators)
Predicted ecological effects/response detection in control-impact experiments

Limitations

Effects at plant community level are described as unknown and difficult to assess
Review/predictive approach; indicators proposed for detection rather than reporting observed effects
Scenario-based (nearby base station antenna; herbaceous moderately productive vegetation; ~1-year timeframe)
No specific RF frequency, exposure level, or dosimetry reported in the abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "review",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "primarily effects recordable within ~1 year since exposure started (scenario described)"
  },
  "population": "Herbaceous plant communities (e.g., mesic meadow, ruderal or arable weed community)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Indicators of RF-EMF impact on plant communities (canopy parameters, plant characteristics, community-weighted trait means/medians, interacting organisms such as pollinators)",
    "Predicted ecological effects/response detection in control-impact experiments"
  ],
  "main_findings": "This review proposes potential ecological effects and a set of indicators for detecting impacts of mobile-telephony-range RF-EMF on herbaceous plant communities, particularly in a control-impact experimental design. Suggested indicators include canopy parameters (e.g., mean height, vertical structure, above-ground phytomass), individual plant measures (e.g., height, fruit/seed number, seed viability), community-weighted trait metrics, and frequencies of flower visits by certain insects; for detecting responses within the first year, canopy and individual-plant indicator groups are emphasized.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Effects at plant community level are described as unknown and difficult to assess",
    "Review/predictive approach; indicators proposed for detection rather than reporting observed effects",
    "Scenario-based (nearby base station antenna; herbaceous moderately productive vegetation; ~1-year timeframe)",
    "No specific RF frequency, exposure level, or dosimetry reported in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "radiofrequency electromagnetic fields",
    "mobile telephony",
    "base station",
    "microwave radiation",
    "plant community",
    "herbaceous vegetation",
    "ecological indicators",
    "canopy parameters",
    "community weighted means",
    "plant traits",
    "pollinators"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0,
      "reason": null
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105683
PubMed: Not supplied

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