The aftermath of long-term exposure to non-ionizing radiation on laboratory cultivated pine plants

2017 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 2367

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2017

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The aftermath of long-term exposure to non-ionizing radiation on laboratory cultivated pine plants Stefi AL, Margaritis LH, Christodoulakis NS. The aftermath of long-term exposure to non-ionizing radiation on laboratory cultivated pine plants (Pinus halepensis M.). Flora. 234: 173-186. September 2017. doi.org Highlights • Young pine plants exposed to long term radiation from a DECT base-unit. • Significant biomass reduction was observed for the exposed plants, after seven weeks. • Photosynthetic pigment content decreased in the exposed leaves. • Cotyledon, leaf, stem and root structure seem unaffected. • Many mesophyll cells severely affected with extensive damages to their chloroplasts. Abstract Sprouts of Pinus halepensis were incubated and cultured in the laboratory under controlled conditions to investigate their response to a long-term exposure to continuous, non-ionizing radiation emitted from the base unit of a cordless DECT system. Exposed plants, compared to their control counterparts, seem to be affected since they exhibit lower sprouting potential, minor fresh weight and biomass for both the above ground part and the root, reduction of their photosynthetic pigments and significantly increased ROS levels. Cotyledon, juvenile leaf, primary shoot and root structure seem similar in both control and exposed plants. What seems to be affected is the structure of chloroplasts in the exposed leaves. Many cells of the exposed leaves possess severely deformed chloroplasts with dilated or destructed thylakoid membranes although disruption of chloroplast envelopes was not observed. 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 typeanimal

Effect directionharm

PopulationLaboratory cultivated sprouts/young pine plants (Pinus halepensis)

Sample sizeNot supplied

Exposurecontinuous long-term exposure; seven weeks

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Compared with controls, exposed pine plants showed lower sprouting potential, reduced fresh weight and biomass, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and increased ROS levels after long-term continuous exposure to radiation from a cordless DECT base unit. Gross cotyledon/leaf/stem/root structure appeared similar between groups, but many mesophyll cells in exposed leaves had severely deformed chloroplasts with dilated or destructed thylakoid membranes.

Outcomes measured

sprouting potential
fresh weight
biomass (above-ground and root)
photosynthetic pigment content
reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels
cotyledon/leaf/stem/root structure
chloroplast ultrastructure (thylakoid membranes)

Limitations

Frequency and exposure metrics (e.g., power density, SAR) not reported in the abstract
Sample size not reported in the abstract
Laboratory plant model; generalizability to other settings/species not stated

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "cordless DECT base unit",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "continuous long-term exposure; seven weeks"
  },
  "population": "Laboratory cultivated sprouts/young pine plants (Pinus halepensis)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "sprouting potential",
    "fresh weight",
    "biomass (above-ground and root)",
    "photosynthetic pigment content",
    "reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels",
    "cotyledon/leaf/stem/root structure",
    "chloroplast ultrastructure (thylakoid membranes)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Compared with controls, exposed pine plants showed lower sprouting potential, reduced fresh weight and biomass, decreased photosynthetic pigments, and increased ROS levels after long-term continuous exposure to radiation from a cordless DECT base unit. Gross cotyledon/leaf/stem/root structure appeared similar between groups, but many mesophyll cells in exposed leaves had severely deformed chloroplasts with dilated or destructed thylakoid membranes.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Frequency and exposure metrics (e.g., power density, SAR) not reported in the abstract",
    "Sample size not reported in the abstract",
    "Laboratory plant model; generalizability to other settings/species not stated"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "non-ionizing radiation",
    "DECT",
    "cordless phone base unit",
    "Pinus halepensis",
    "biomass reduction",
    "photosynthetic pigments",
    "ROS",
    "chloroplast damage",
    "thylakoid membranes"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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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.flora.2017.07.016
PubMed: Not supplied

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