Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, IMS, UMR 5218, Talence, France.
Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Paris, France.
Front Public Health. 2023 Aug 7;11:1231360. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1231360. eCollection 2023.
The current deployment of the fifth generation (5G) of wireless communications raises new questions about the potential health effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields. So far, most of the established biological effects of RF have been known to be caused by heating. We previously reported inhibition of the spontaneous electrical activity of neuronal networks in vitro when exposed to 1.8 GHz signals at specific absorption rates (SAR) well above the guidelines. The present study aimed to assess the effects of RF fields at 3.5 GHz, one of the frequencies related to 5G, on neuronal activity in-vitro. Potential differences in the effects elicited by continuous-wave (CW) and 5G-modulated signals were also investigated.
Spontaneous activity of neuronal cultures from embryonic cortices was recorded using 60-electrode multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) between 17 and 27 days in vitro. The neuronal cultures were subjected to 15 min RF exposures at SAR of 1, 3, and 28 W/kg.
At SAR close to the guidelines (1 and 3 W/kg), we found no conclusive evidence that 3.5 GHz RF exposure impacts the activity of neurons in vitro. On the contrary, CW and 5G-modulated signals elicited a clear decrease in bursting and total firing rates during RF exposure at high SAR levels (28 W/kg). Our experimental findings extend our previous results, showing that RF, at 1.8 to 3.5 GHz, inhibits the electrical activity of neurons in vitro at levels above environmental standards.
当前第五代（5G）无线通信的部署引发了新的问题，即接触射频（RF）场可能对健康产生影响。到目前为止，RF 的大多数已确立的生物学效应已知是由加热引起的。我们之前曾报道过，当以远高于指南规定的特定吸收率（SAR）暴露于 1.8GHz 信号时，体外神经元网络的自发电活动会受到抑制。本研究旨在评估 3.5GHz 的 RF 场对体外神经元活性的影响，3.5GHz 是与 5G 相关的频率之一。还研究了连续波（CW）和 5G 调制信号引起的效应的潜在差异。
使用 60 电极多电极阵列（MEA）在体外 17 至 27 天之间记录来自胚胎皮质的神经元培养物的自发活动。将神经元培养物在 SAR 为 1、3 和 28 W/kg 的条件下进行 15 分钟的 RF 暴露。
在接近指南的 SAR（1 和 3 W/kg）下，我们没有确凿的证据表明 3.5GHz RF 暴露会影响体外神经元的活性。相反，在高 SAR 水平（28 W/kg）下，CW 和 5G 调制信号在 RF 暴露期间会明显降低爆发和总发射率。我们的实验结果扩展了我们之前的结果，表明 RF 在 1.8 至 3.5GHz 之间，在高于环境标准的水平上抑制体外神经元的电活动。
