# RF-036 — Persistent mouse behavioural changes after early-life LTE exposure

Why this matters
Early development is a period when lasting changes deserve particular attention. Mice exposed before and shortly after birth later behaved differently in several activity measures. The directions varied between exposure groups and the samples were small. Their significance for developmental function remains uncertain; they do not establish a human diagnosis.

Id: RF-036

Author: Broom et al.

Full Authors: Kerry A. Broom; Richard Findlay; Darren S. Addison; Cristian Goiceanu; Zenon Sienkiewicz

Year: 2019

Title: Early-Life Exposure to Pulsed LTE Radiofrequency Fields Causes Persistent Changes in Activity and Behavior in C57BL/6 J Mice

Journal: Bioelectromagnetics

Citation: Kerry A. Broom; Richard Findlay; Darren S. Addison; Cristian Goiceanu; Zenon Sienkiewicz. Early-Life Exposure to Pulsed LTE Radiofrequency Fields Causes Persistent Changes in Activity and Behavior in C57BL/6 J Mice. Bioelectromagnetics. 2019;40(7):498-511. doi:10.1002/bem.22217.

Doi: 10.1002/bem.22217

Pmid: 31522469

Topic: Development and behaviour

Verification Group: Original text reviewed

Record Role: Original text reviewed

Featured: True

Exposure: 1,846 MHz realistic LTE downlink; nominal whole-body average SAR 0.5 or 1 W/kg; 30 min/day, 5 days/week on gestational days 13.5-18.5 and postnatal days 3-21. Numerical mother/fetus/pup dosimetry; fetal SAR varied substantially (0.125-1.39 W/kg at maternal target 0.5 W/kg).

Design: Random allocation of pregnant C57BL/6J mice; sham exposure with field set to zero. Only male offspring, at most one per litter per group. Two experimental repetitions; behavioural n=5-6/group at most timepoints, n=3 at weeks 14,21,28 after equipment data loss; body mass n=3/group.

Finding: Persistent changes in locomotion, feeding/drinking and shelter use were recorded through adulthood. At 0.5 W/kg distance moved and movement duration were reduced; at 1 W/kg wheel revolutions and movement duration increased. Both exposed groups spent longer in shelter.

Statistics: Distance moved: exposure ANOVA F(2,212)=10.09, P<.001; 0.5 W/kg versus sham P≤.001. Movement duration: F(2,212)=14.45,P<.001. Wheel revolutions: 1W/kg versus sham P≤.006.

Boundary: Small male-only groups, numerous repeated endpoints and no consistent monotonic exposure-response. Changes are biological/behavioural responses of uncertain adverse significance, not diagnosed neurodevelopmental disease. Nominal whole-body exposures exceeded human public whole-body restrictions; no inference of ordinary handset risk or human compliance follows.

Related: UK Public Health England/ELERaFF programme, distinct from Yale Aldad and Newcastle sperm work. BIOEM2016 conference presentation is preliminary reporting of this research, not a separate experiment.

Protection Question: Can early-life exposure produce persistent changes that impair function? Small samples and effects in different directions leave adverse significance uncertain; these behavioural responses are not a human developmental diagnosis.

Access: Full original methods/results, Table 1, figures and disclosures reviewed via Scite fulltext and PMC original XML.

Locator: Methods/Animals and Exposures; Table 1; Results/Figures 2-4; Discussion; article footnote and Acknowledgments.

Notice: No editorial notice surfaced in the Scite/primary-record checks used for this record; this is not a comprehensive clean-bill certification.

Funding: UK Department of Health and Social Care Policy Research Programme, ELERaFF 091/0211.

Conflicts: Richard Findlay works for an independent EMF safety organization; Zenon Sienkiewicz was an ICNIRP main-commission member; both declare no competing interests (article footnote).

Source Url: https://doi.org/10.1002/bem.22217

Retrieval Links: https://doi.org/10.1002/bem.22217 | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6790696/ | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31522469/

Verification Date: 2026-10-20