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

PAPER manual 2025 Review Effect: harm Evidence: Moderate

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Abstract

Category: Electromagnetic Field Safety, Biophysics Tags: polarized microwaves, coherence, ELF modulation, EMF safety, pulsed microwaves, health risk, electromagnetic fields URL: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Review Front Public Health . 2025 Jun 4:13:1585441. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1585441. eCollection 2025. A comprehensive mechanism of biological and health effects of anthropogenic extremely low frequency and wireless communication electromagnetic fields Dimitris J Panagopoulos 1 2, Igor Yakymenko 3, Geoffry N De Iuliis 4, George P Chrousos 1 5 Affiliations Expand PMID: 40547468 PMCID: PMC12179773 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1585441 Abstract Overview This text discusses how polarized, coherent microwaves possess highly variable intensities and are further modulated and pulsed at extremely low frequencies (ELF). Such characteristics are important in understanding the complex interactions between electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and biological systems. Key Points - Polarized microwaves differ from ordinary microwaves in their structured electromagnetic orientation, making their biological effects potentially more pronounced. - Coherence in microwaves means the waves are synchronized, which can enhance their ability to interact with biological tissues. - Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) modulation and pulsing are known to potentially increase the biological reactivity to these fields. - The intensity and modulation of these fields are critical factors associated with EMF-related health concerns. Conclusion Exposure to such microwaves, especially when they are coherent, intensely variable, and ELF-modulated, has been linked to health risks in scientific literature. Understanding these properties is crucial for EMF safety evaluations and public health risk mitigation. Exposure to anthropogenic electromagnetic fields (EMFs), especially those of wireless communications (WC) has increased tremendously. This is an unprecedented phenomenon throughout biological evolution because, all anthropogenic EMFs, being fully polarized, coherent, and, especially WC EMFs, highly variable, differ substantially from the natural EMFs. WC EMFs consist of Microwave (MW) carrier waves, modulated, by Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) signals, and included in on/off pulses repeated at various ELF rates. Moreover, they exhibit intense random variability, mainly in the Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) band. Thus, WC EMFs are a combination of MW and ELF/ULF EMFs. The combination of polarization/coherence and intense low-frequency (ELF/ULF) variability seems to be the key to EMF-bioactivity. Epidemiological and laboratory studies highlight a connection between ELF or WC EMF exposure and cancer, infertility, electro-hypersensitivity, and various other pathologies. Studies also find DNA damage and Oxidative Stress (OS) which explain these pathologies. While man-made EMFs cannot directly ionize molecules, they are capable of doing this indirectly in biological tissue, by triggering the biosynthesis of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which can damage biomolecules, including DNA. The (over)production of ROS and the consequent OS are triggered by irregular gating of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels (VGICs) in the cell membranes as described by the Ion Forced Oscillation (IFO)-VGIC mechanism: Mobile ions within VGICs forced to oscillate by the applied ELF/ULF EMFs exert forces on the voltage sensors of the VGICs, similar to or greater than the forces that physiologically gate those channels, resulting in their irregular gating (dysfunction). Dysfunction of ion channels disrupts intracellular ionic concentrations. This triggers ROS overproduction and OS by the ROS-generating systems/enzymes in the cells, such as the electron transport chain (ETC) in the mitochondria, or the NADPH/NADH oxidases (NOXs), the Nitric Oxide synthases (NOS), etc. The IFO-VGIC mechanism and the consequent OS constitute a comprehensive mechanism that explains all known adverse biological and health effects reported to be induced by anthropogenic EMFs. Keywords: DNA damage; IFO-VGIC mechanism; ROS; electromagnetic fields; ion forced oscillation; oxidative stress; voltage-gated ion channels.

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Review

Effect direction

harm

Population

—

Sample size

—

Exposure

ELF and microwave wireless communication electromagnetic fields

Evidence strength

Moderate

Confidence: 70% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

The review discusses that exposure to polarized, coherent microwaves modulated at extremely low frequencies (ELF) in wireless communication EMFs is linked to health risks including cancer, infertility, electro-hypersensitivity, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. It proposes a mechanism involving irregular gating of voltage-gated ion channels leading to reactive oxygen species overproduction and oxidative stress, explaining these biological effects.

Outcomes measured

cancer
infertility
electro-hypersensitivity
DNA damage
oxidative stress
various pathologies

Limitations

No new empirical data presented
Based on synthesis of existing epidemiological and laboratory studies
Mechanistic explanations are theoretical and require further experimental validation

Suggested hubs

who-icnirp (0.9)
Discusses EMF safety and biological mechanisms relevant to health guidelines.

View raw extracted JSON

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    "study_type": "review",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "ELF and microwave",
        "source": "wireless communication electromagnetic fields",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": null,
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "cancer",
        "infertility",
        "electro-hypersensitivity",
        "DNA damage",
        "oxidative stress",
        "various pathologies"
    ],
    "main_findings": "The review discusses that exposure to polarized, coherent microwaves modulated at extremely low frequencies (ELF) in wireless communication EMFs is linked to health risks including cancer, infertility, electro-hypersensitivity, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. It proposes a mechanism involving irregular gating of voltage-gated ion channels leading to reactive oxygen species overproduction and oxidative stress, explaining these biological effects.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "No new empirical data presented",
        "Based on synthesis of existing epidemiological and laboratory studies",
        "Mechanistic explanations are theoretical and require further experimental validation"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "moderate",
    "confidence": 0.6999999999999999555910790149937383830547332763671875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "polarized microwaves",
        "coherence",
        "ELF modulation",
        "EMF safety",
        "pulsed microwaves",
        "health risk",
        "electromagnetic fields",
        "DNA damage",
        "oxidative stress",
        "voltage-gated ion channels",
        "reactive oxygen species"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
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            "slug": "who-icnirp",
            "weight": 0.90000000000000002220446049250313080847263336181640625,
            "reason": "Discusses EMF safety and biological mechanisms relevant to health guidelines."
        }
    ]
}

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

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