EMF Evidence Library
Research library/Brain & nervous system/RF-036
RF-036Original text reviewed

Persistent mouse behavioural changes after early-life LTE exposure

Broom et al. · 2019 · Bioelectromagnetics

The reported 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.

Reading it carefully

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.

Inside the study

Exposure conditions
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 & controls
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.
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.
Related research & shared cohorts
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.
The protection question raised
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.
Source verification
Full original methods/results, Table 1, figures and disclosures reviewed via Scite fulltext and PMC original XML.
Where to find the result
Methods/Animals and Exposures; Table 1; Results/Figures 2-4; Discussion; article footnote and Acknowledgments.
Editorial notices
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 of interest
Richard Findlay works for an independent EMF safety organization; Zenon Sienkiewicz was an ICNIRP main-commission member; both declare no competing interests (article footnote).

Reviews to read alongside

Related syntheses and proposals in the separate review collection. These are topical reading links, not additional independent experiments.

Original publication

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.

Plain-text record