WEB-047Original text reviewed
3.6 GHz: mosquito development and nutritional susceptibility
The reported finding
Development slowed at the lower exposure, particularly with poorer nutrition; stronger exposure caused dielectric heating and altered development timing/adult size.
Reading it carefully
Despite the title’s 5G-NR wording, methods used continuous wave. Insect dose metrics cannot be compared directly with human local-SAR limits. Diet, water temperature and developmental stage affect interpretation.
Inside the study
Technology connection
Relevant carrier-frequency research; the record distinguishes actual 5G modulation from other laboratory waveforms.
Publication type
Original journal research
Exposure conditions
3.6 GHz continuous wave for 5 days; 46.2 or 182.6 V/m. Reported representative absorbed power 1.2 or 18.7 µW; dose varied with larval size and position.
Design & controls
Aedes aegypti larvae; two feeding regimes, sham controls, chamber characterisation and anatomical dosimetry; 3360 larvae across experiments.
Statistics
See the original results; effect sizes were not independently recalculated.
Related research & shared cohorts
Ghent insect-dosimetry programme; not a study of satellite exposure.
The protection question raised
Which exposure conditions reproduce this finding, and what would establish its relevance beyond the experimental model?
Source verification
Original methods/results and interpretation reviewed; raw data and supplements were not independently audited.
Where to find the result
Original methods and results
Editorial notices
Linked Europe PMC/PubMed notice fields checked 21 October 2026; no correction/retraction surfaced for this record. Publisher/citation screening is not exhaustive.
Funding
See original disclosure; funding details were not established in this check.
Conflicts of interest
Authors report no competing interests/conflicts; declaration checked, not independently audited.
Original publication
Eline De Borre; Charles De Massia; Matthieu N Boone; Pie Müller; Arno Thielens. Exposure to 5G-NR electromagnetic fields affects larval development of Aedes aegypti mosquito. Scientific reports. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-32816-y.