# WEB-005 — Activity, sleep and circadian changes in flies exposed at 3.5 GHz

Why this matters
Sleep and biological timing are functions shared across living systems. This experiment offers an insect model for investigating how exposure duration can change the response.

Id: WEB-005

Author: Wang et al.

Full Authors: Yahong Wang; Hongying Zhang; Ziyan Zhang; Boqun Sun; Chao Tang; Lu Zhang; Zhihao Jiang; Bo Ding; Yanyan Liao; Peng Cai

Year: 2021

Title: Simulated mobile communication frequencies (3.5 GHz) emitted by a signal generator affects the sleep of Drosophila melanogaster

Journal: Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)

Citation: Yahong Wang; Hongying Zhang; Ziyan Zhang; Boqun Sun; Chao Tang; Lu Zhang; Zhihao Jiang; Bo Ding; Yanyan Liao; Peng Cai. Simulated mobile communication frequencies (3.5 GHz) emitted by a signal generator affects the sleep of Drosophila melanogaster. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987). 2021. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117087.

Doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117087

Pmid: 33894629

Topic: Brain activity and sleep; Insect circadian responses

Verification Group: Original abstract reviewed

Record Role: Original abstract reviewed

Featured: False

Exposure: 3.5 GHz; incident densities 0.1, 1 and 10 W/m²; short- and long-term protocols. Exact durations and thermal controls not audited from full text.

Design: Parent and F1 male Drosophila; activity monitoring, gene-expression assays and neurotransmitter measurements.

Finding: Short exposure increased activity and reduced sleep; longer exposure reduced F1 activity and increased sleep, with circadian/heat-stress gene and GABA/glutamate changes.

Statistics: See reported finding and original tables; effect sizes not independently recalculated.

Boundary: Original abstract only. Authors invoke heat stress; physiological significance and thermal contribution require full methods. A carrier experiment, not established NR exposure.

Protection Question: Which exposure conditions and biological models reproduce this response, and what would establish its relevance to health?

Access: Original abstract and bibliographic metadata checked; full methods and dosimetry not audited.

Locator: Original abstract; methods verification incomplete

Notice: Linked notice fields in retrieved Europe PMC/PubMed records checked 21 October 2026; no correction or retraction surfaced there. Publisher-history and forward-citation screening are not exhaustive.

Funding: Not established from retrieved original abstract.

Conflicts: Not established from retrieved original abstract.

Source Url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117087

Retrieval Links: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117087 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33894629/

Verification Date: 2026-10-21

Discovery Id: EML-5G-005

Technology Tracks: 5g

Technology Connection: Relevant mobile-frequency experiment; waveform and dose described in this record.

Publication Type: Original journal research

Study Setting: Wildlife

Browse Categories: brain|environment