This narrative review summarizes human and animal research on radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure (e.g., mobile phones, Wi‑Fi, occupational sources) and male reproductive outcomes. It reports that the literature links RF exposure with reduced sperm quality and increased DNA damage, often alongside oxidative stress and other proposed biological changes. Although inconsistencies are acknowledged, the authors conclude the overall evidence suggests harmful associations and call for standardized, long-term studies and reconsideration of guidelines.

This animal study examined repeated asymmetrical head exposure to a 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz signal in adult male mice for six weeks. It reports no significant changes in locomotion, anxiety, or object-based memory performance under the tested conditions. However, it found statistically significant but limited cortical gene expression changes (<1% of expressed genes), including enrichment for glutamatergic synapse-related genes and lateralized differences involving mitochondrial genome-encoded genes. The authors caution that potential health risks from these intracortical transcriptomic modifications should not be downplayed and note uncertainties about longer exposures and other populations.

This in vitro study exposed glioblastoma (CT2A), neuroblastoma (N2A), and non-tumor astrocyte (C8D1A) cell models to a 100 μT magnetic field across 20–100 Hz for 24–72 hours. The abstract reports decreased viability and proliferation in the tumor cell models within a frequency window centered at 50 Hz, while astrocyte viability increased at 20 and 40 Hz. The authors conclude that frequency is a key determinant of cell-type-specific responses consistent with a “biological window” model.

This animal study exposed chick embryos to electromagnetic waves from a mobile phone and compared them with unexposed controls. Electron microscopy on days 10 and 15 reported neuronal and cerebellar cellular alterations in the exposed group, including features described as apoptosis and mitochondrial swelling. The authors also report compromised blood-brain barrier integrity and conclude the exposure adversely affects brain development.

This animal study exposed fertilized chick eggs to a nearby 1800 MHz mobile phone that was called repeatedly (50 minutes/day) and assessed embryos at days 10 and 15. The exposed group reportedly showed mitochondrial abnormalities in liver, brain, and heart tissues on electron microscopy, along with increased HSP70 in cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes. The authors conclude that radio-frequency electromagnetic waves can induce oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in developing embryos.

This analytical study evaluated machine learning models (SVM and Random Forest) to predict health symptoms in adults living near mobile phone base stations. The SVM model reportedly achieved high predictive performance for headache, sleep disturbance, dizziness, vertigo, and fatigue, and outperformed Random Forest and prior models. The abstract concludes that proximity to base stations is connected with increased prevalence of several symptoms and emphasizes distance, age, and duration of residence as key predictors.

This letter critiques the WHO-sponsored systematic review by Karipidis et al. (2024) on RF-EMF exposure and cancer risk. The authors argue the review has serious methodological and interpretative flaws, including issues with study selection and data analysis. They contend that the review’s conclusion of "no clear evidence" may be misleading and should not be used as a basis for health policy or safety guidelines.

Moon et al. (2024) report a systematic review and meta-analysis on cellular phone RF-EMR and brain tumor risk. The abstract summary states elevated risks for three brain tumor types in analyses considering ipsilateral (same-side) phone use and reports increased risk with heavy and long-term use. The text also highlights disagreement with the 2024 WHO review and raises methodological concerns about WHO conclusions.

This systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis synthesizes human observational studies on radiofrequency EMF exposure and male fertility outcomes. It reports evidence of an association between RF exposure and poorer sperm parameters, including reduced quality, motility, and viability. The authors frame the findings as consistent with potential reproductive health risks and call for continued risk assessment and guideline development.

This animal study exposed adult male C57BL/6 mice to a 4.9 GHz radiofrequency field for three weeks (1 hour/day) and compared them with a sham group. The abstract reports altered fecal microbiome composition with reduced diversity in the RF group, along with 258 significantly differentially abundant fecal metabolites. The authors conclude that 4.9 GHz RF exposure is associated with changes in gut microbiota and metabolic profiles and call for further EMF safety research.

This National Toxicology Program technical report describes 900 MHz whole-body RFR exposures (GSM and CDMA) in male and female Sprague Dawley rats from in utero through up to 2 years. The report concludes clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in males for both modulations based on malignant schwannoma of the heart, with malignant glioma of the brain also reported as related to exposure. In females, the report concludes equivocal evidence of carcinogenic activity for both modulations based on selected tumor outcomes, and genetic toxicology findings were mixed with some comet assay increases/equivocal results but negative micronucleus assays.

This narrative review proposes that low-intensity microwave/lower-frequency EMFs activate plasma membrane calcium channels in animals, increasing intracellular calcium and triggering downstream signaling including oxidative stress pathways. It further suggests that EMF actions in terrestrial multicellular plants are probably similar, with plant two-pore channels proposed as plausible mediators due to a comparable voltage sensor. The abstract describes briefly reviewed plant studies as consistent with this mechanism, but does not provide detailed exposure parameters or quantitative results.

This 2016 narrative review proposes that non-thermal microwave/lower-frequency EMFs act primarily through activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), with calcium channel blockers reported to block EMF effects. It summarizes animal, occupational, and epidemiological literature and reports that exposures from base stations, heavy mobile phone use, and wireless smart meters are associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms, sometimes with doseresponse patterns. The author concludes that multiple lines of evidence collectively support that non-thermal microwave EMF exposures can produce diverse neuropsychiatric effects including depression.

This narrative review argues that non-thermal biological effects of extremely low and microwave frequency EMFs may be mediated by activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). It cites 23 studies in which VGCC blockers reportedly block or reduce diverse EMF effects and proposes downstream Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent nitric oxide signaling. The review discusses both potential therapeutic effects (e.g., bone growth stimulation) and potential adverse effects via oxidative stress pathways, including a reviewed example of DNA single-strand breaks.

This review discusses the comet assay and summarizes research on non-ionizing EMF exposure and DNA/chromosomal damage. It describes both positive and negative findings across studies, noting no consistent overall pattern for radiofrequency radiation (RFR). The authors nonetheless conclude that under certain exposure conditions RFR appears genotoxic and may affect DNA damage and repair, with evidence discussed as most applicable to exposures typical of cell phone use.

This paper presents a meta-analysis of 11 peer-reviewed epidemiologic studies examining long-term (>=10 years) cell phone use with laterality analyses. It reports that long-term use is associated with an approximately doubled risk of an ipsilateral brain tumor. The abstract states statistical significance for glioma and acoustic neuroma, but not for meningioma.

This review describes public concerns and scientific reports of non-thermal biological effects from low-intensity ELF and RF exposures. It lists multiple health endpoints reported to be associated with ELF and/or RF and highlights the BioInitiative Report’s conclusion that a reasonable suspicion of risk exists at environmentally relevant levels. The authors argue that existing public exposure standards should be lowered and that mobile phone SAR guidelines should be revised based on biology and long-term risk claims.

This review summarizes reported biological effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields, describing them as significant and often acting as stressors. Reported outcomes include metabolic, hormonal, and body weight changes in rodents, lethality at high exposure levels in mice and insects, and increased mitotic index in mouse tissues/cells under specified exposure conditions. The review suggests many effects may be mediated through neuroendocrine, nervous system, or behavioral responses to field exposure.