RF Safe

Mobile phone mast effects on common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles: the city turned into a laboratory.

Electromagnetic biology and medicine · 2010 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 6506

Eggs/tadpoles exposed at 140 m from several mobile phone antennae (measured electric field intensity 1.8–3.5 V/m) showed low coordination of movements, asynchronous growth, and 90% mortality (n=70). Controls kept under the same conditions but inside a Faraday…

Study snapshot

PublicationElectromagnetic biology and medicine · 2010
Study typeanimal
Reported directionHarm
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

An experiment has been made exposing eggs and tadpoles of the common frog (Rana temporaria) to electromagnetic radiation from several mobile (cell) phone antennae located at a distance of 140 meters. The experiment lasted two months, from the egg phase until an advanced phase of tadpole prior to metamorphosis. Measurements of electric field intensity (radiofrequencies and microwaves) in V/m obtained with three different devices were 1.8 to 3.5 V/m. In the exposed group (n = 70), low coordination of movements, an asynchronous growth, resulting in both big and small tadpoles, and a high mortality (90%) was observed. Regarding the control group (n = 70) under the same conditions but inside a Faraday cage, the coordination of movements was normal, the development was synchronous, and a mortality of 4.2% was obtained. These results indicate that radiation emitted by phone masts in a real situation may affect the development and may cause an increase in mortality of exposed tadpoles. This research may have huge implications for the natural world, which is now exposed to high microwave radiation levels from a multitude of phone masts.

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
PopulationCommon frog (Rana temporaria) eggs and tadpoles
Sample size140
Exposure2 months (from egg phase to advanced tadpole phase prior to metamorphosis)
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Eggs/tadpoles exposed at 140 m from several mobile phone antennae (measured electric field intensity 1.8–3.5 V/m) showed low coordination of movements, asynchronous growth, and 90% mortality (n=70). Controls kept under the same conditions but inside a Faraday cage had normal coordination, synchronous development, and 4.2% mortality (n=70).

Outcomes measured

  • movement coordination
  • growth/development synchrony
  • mortality

Limitations

  • Frequency and other RF exposure parameters (e.g., modulation, power density) not reported in the abstract
  • Exposure metric reported as electric field intensity (V/m) only; SAR not reported
  • Details on randomization/blinding and other husbandry/environmental controls not described in the abstract
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "mobile phone mast/base station antennae",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "2 months (from egg phase to advanced tadpole phase prior to metamorphosis)"
  },
  "population": "Common frog (Rana temporaria) eggs and tadpoles",
  "sample_size": 140,
  "outcomes": [
    "movement coordination",
    "growth/development synchrony",
    "mortality"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Eggs/tadpoles exposed at 140 m from several mobile phone antennae (measured electric field intensity 1.8–3.5 V/m) showed low coordination of movements, asynchronous growth, and 90% mortality (n=70). Controls kept under the same conditions but inside a Faraday cage had normal coordination, synchronous development, and 4.2% mortality (n=70).",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Frequency and other RF exposure parameters (e.g., modulation, power density) not reported in the abstract",
    "Exposure metric reported as electric field intensity (V/m) only; SAR not reported",
    "Details on randomization/blinding and other husbandry/environmental controls not described in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "Rana temporaria",
    "tadpoles",
    "mobile phone mast",
    "base station",
    "radiofrequency",
    "microwaves",
    "electric field intensity",
    "Faraday cage",
    "mortality",
    "development"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "base-stations",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Exposure source is radiation from several mobile phone antennae/masts measured in V/m at 140 m."
    }
  ]
}
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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: 10.3109/15368371003685363
PubMed: 20560769

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