Study type: systematic_review

Environmental Health · 2026 · Manual

Benchmark dose analyses indicate that cancer risk at 1 in 100,000 occurs at SAR levels between 0.8 to 5 mW/kg, and male fertility effects occur at SAR levels between 3.3 to 10 mW/kg, both significantly below current regulatory limits.

DOI: 10.1186/s12940-026-01288-6

Study URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-026-01288-6

Study type: animal

Reprod Toxicol · 2026 · Manual

Paternal exposure to 5G RFR (4.9 GHz) induced anxiety-like behaviors and impaired sperm quality in first-generation male offspring mice, potentially mediated by hypermethylation and downregulation of the LRGUK gene. No significant effects were observed on depression-like behaviors, cognition, or fertility in offspring.

DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.109139

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623825003107

Study type: systematic_review

2022 · Manual

Analysis of 131 peer-reviewed studies showed that 95% confirmed statistically significant oxidative effects induced by non-thermal RF EMFs, mostly pulsed/modulated by ELF, in various biological systems. Similarly, 92% of 39 studies on purely ELF EMFs revealed significant oxidative effects. The oxidative stress induced by man-made EMFs, especially wireless communication EMFs combining RF and ELF components, is a pronounced oxidative agent with high pathogenic potential in living cells.

DOI: 10.1201/9781003201052-6

Study URL: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003201052-6

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2025 · Manual

The review of 52 animal studies found high certainty evidence that RF-EMF exposure causes malignant heart schwannomas and brain gliomas in male rats. Moderate certainty evidence was found for lymphoma, adrenal pheochromocytomas, liver hepatoblastomas, and lung tumors. These findings represent a substantial upgrade from previous classifications of limited evidence.

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40339346/

Study type: animal

2018 · Manual

The NTP study found clear evidence of increased malignant heart schwannomas and some evidence of increased brain gliomas in male rats exposed to GSM- and CDMA-modulated cell phone RFR at whole-body SAR levels of 1.5, 3, and 6 W/kg. The lowest dose (1.5 W/kg) produced as many or more tumors as higher doses, indicating a non-monotonic dose-response. The WHO 2025 systematic review rated the evidence for increased malignant heart schwannomas and brain gliomas in male rats as high certainty, explicitly including the NTP 1.5 W/kg data.

Study URL: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/ntp/htdocs/lt_rpts/tr595_508.pdf

Study type: systematic_review

Environ Int · 2025 · Manual

High certainty that RF-EMF exposure in males causes a significant reduction in pregnancy rate when exposed males are mated. Additional findings with low-to-moderate certainty include reduced sperm count, reduced sperm vitality, and increased sperm DNA damage.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109449 · PMID: 40268655

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40268655/

Study type: randomized_trial

Journal of B.U.ON. : official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology · 2004 · PubMed

In 78 randomized patients (ELF n=37; PELF n=41), median overall survival was 12.3 months with ELF vs 17.2 months with PELF (p=0.01). Median DFS was 17 weeks with ELF vs 35 weeks with PELF (p=0.0004), and 2-year overall survival was 8% vs 24% (p=0.03). No statistically significant differences in reported grade 2/3 hematologic or non-hematologic toxicities were observed between groups.

PMID: 17415824

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17415824/

Study type: randomized_trial

The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology · 2013 · PubMed

In this randomized controlled trial, cumulative incidence of type 2 diabetes was lower in the mobile phone messaging group (50/271; 18%) than in controls (73/266; 27%) with hazard ratio 0.64 (95% CI 0.45–0.92; p=0.015). One sudden death occurred in the control group; no other serious adverse events were recorded.

DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(13)70067-6 · PMID: 24622367

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24622367/

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review included 117 animal studies and 10 studies of human sperm exposed in vitro across 100 kHz–300 GHz (including EMP). Meta-analyses of animal studies reported adverse effects for most endpoints, but not for the rate of infertile males or litter size; GRADE certainty was moderate for reduced pregnancy rate and for no effect on litter size, low for reduced sperm count, and very low for other outcomes. In vitro human sperm studies suggested a small detrimental effect on vitality and no effect on DNA/chromatin alterations, both with very low certainty; EMP studies reportedly showed no effects.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108509

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024000953

Study type: meta_analysis

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

Across 13 papers from eight cohort studies and one case-control study (486,558 participants), the review reports no indication that RF-EMF exposure below guideline values causes tinnitus, migraine/headache, sleep disturbances, or composite symptom scores, but states the evidence is very uncertain. The authors attribute very low certainty to few studies and concerns including possible risk of bias, inconsistencies, indirectness, and imprecision.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108338

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023006116?via%3Dihub

Study type: systematic_review

Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review summarizes evidence that multiple environmental pollutants adversely affect male fertility, while stating that harmful effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on reproductive functions may be expected but are not fully proven. The EMF section describes proposed mechanisms (including oxidative stress and ion transport changes) and reports mixed findings across contexts: welding exposure is described as associated with deterioration of sperm parameters and increased miscarriage risk, radar exposure reports are described as contradictory, and mobile phone/GSM studies are described as reporting increased ROS/oxidative stress and sperm DNA fragmentation. The authors also note reports of potentially beneficial effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on sperm motility and some animal reproductive outcomes, and conclude that harmful/neutral/beneficial EMF energy threshol…

DOI: 10.3390/jcm13071986

Study URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/7/1986

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

Across 41 human experimental studies (mostly crossover trials), meta-analyses of 10 exposure–outcome pairs suggested no or small non-significant effects of acute RF-EMF exposure on self-reported symptoms in both the general population and IEI-EMF individuals. Evidence also suggested participants could not perceive RF-EMF exposure status better than chance, and IEI-EMF individuals did not perform better than the general population.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108612

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024001983

Study type: systematic_review

Radiation Protection Dosimetry · 2024 · Manual

This systematic literature review of 63 articles reports that RF-EMF exposure in confined environments is higher in working spaces and transport than in dwellings, attributed to multiple exposure frequencies and high user density. The review notes that studies commonly assess exposure using electric field and SAR, but often do not consider tissue temperature rise in confined environments. It also highlights limited evaluation of subterranean environments despite increasing use of wearable wireless devices and calls for more research on long-term exposure and potential health impacts, especially in occupational settings.

DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncae045

Study URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11033578/

Study type: meta_analysis

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review and fixed-effects meta-analysis included 5 studies (4 cohorts; 4639 participants) and reported very low to low certainty evidence of little to no association between mobile phone-related RF-EMF exposure and measures of learning and memory, executive function, and complex attention. An exposure–response relationship was not identified for any cognitive outcomes. Evidence in elderly participants came from a single study and was rated very low certainty.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108779

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024003659

Study type: meta_analysis

2024 · Manual

This systematic review of human observational studies with dose-response meta-analysis reports evidence of an association between radiofrequency EMF exposure and adverse male fertility parameters, including decreased sperm quality, motility, and viability. The authors conclude the findings are consistent with potential negative effects on male reproductive health and emphasize caution and further guideline development.

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38880062/

Study type: systematic_review

Rofo · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review reports that short-term sensory effects (e.g., vertigo, metallic taste, phosphenes) and neurocognitive/neurobehavioral effects have been described in medical personnel exposed to clinical MRI magnetic fields, including reported reductions in speed/precision and visual contrast sensitivity in some studies. Long-term studies discussed mainly relate to sleep quality, which the authors note could be associated with increased accident risk. For pregnancy exposure, the review states that available data are outdated but concludes no particular deviations were found for gestation duration, preterm birth, miscarriage, or birth weight; the authors emphasize a lack of epidemiological studies and a need for higher-quality long-term data.

DOI: 10.1055/a-2296-3860

Study URL: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-2296-

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

Across meta-analyses, the review reports no statistically significant effects of short-term RF-EMF exposure versus sham on cognitive performance, based on confidence intervals around Hedges’s g and z-statistics. GRADE assessments were described as mostly moderate to high certainty that short-term RF-EMF exposure at SAR levels within recommended limits (ICNIRP 2010) does not negatively affect investigated cognitive domains, with remaining uncertainty in some subdomains (notably construction/motor speed based on two small heterogeneous studies).

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108899

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004859?via%3Dihub

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review of experimental studies (56 total; 45 in vivo and 11 in vitro) on RF-EMF exposure (reported frequency range 800–2450 MHz within an intended scope of 100 kHz–300 GHz) found overall inconsistent results across oxidative stress biomarkers and tissues. Risk of bias was rated high in many studies and heterogeneity was high; the review judged the overall certainty of evidence as very low. The authors state there may be no or inconsistent effects in several tissues (e.g., brain, liver, blood, female reproductive system) and there may be increases in some outcomes/tissues (e.g., testes, serum, thymus), but all with very low-certainty evidence.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108940

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024005269

Study type: systematic_review

Environmental International · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review of 18 human observational studies found very low-certainty evidence regarding associations between RF-EMF exposure and adverse female reproductive outcomes. Meta-analyses for general public mobile phone exposure and several occupational exposure groupings produced effect estimates close to null with wide uncertainty, and several outcomes could not be pooled due to heterogeneity and inconsistent results. The authors conclude the overall evidence is very uncertain and call for more rigorous prospective studies with improved exposure assessment.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108816

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004021

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review/meta-analysis of 63 human observational articles (1994–2022) reported no association between mobile phone use and risks of glioma, meningioma, acoustic neuroma, pituitary tumours, salivary gland tumours, or paediatric brain tumours, and found no dose–response increase with time since start, cumulative call time, or number of calls. It also reported no association between fixed-site transmitter exposure and childhood leukaemia or paediatric brain tumours, and no significant increase in glioma/brain cancer with occupational RF exposure in the included studies. The authors concluded moderate-certainty evidence that mobile phone RF exposure likely does not increase risk for several adult CNS/salivary tumours and paediatric brain tumours, with lower-certainty evidence for cordless phones, fixed-site transmitters (paediatric brain tumours), and occupational exposure.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108983

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024005695?via%3Dihub

Study type: meta_analysis

Science of The Total Environment · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis included 28 observational studies (2,508,807 individuals). Higher outdoor ALAN exposure was associated with increased breast cancer risk (meta-estimate 1.12, 95% CI 1.03–1.23), while indoor ALAN showed a non-significant positive association with breast cancer (1.07, 0.95–1.21) and no differences by menopausal status. For prostate cancer, the meta-analysis suggested a non-statistically significant increased risk with higher outdoor ALAN (1.43, 0.75–2.72); qualitative synthesis reported positive associations for several other cancer sites.

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177059

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724072164

Study type: systematic_review

French Journal of Urology · 2025 · Manual

This systematic review included 12 studies and reports that most included in vivo human studies and in vitro animal studies found a significant impact of non-ionizing radiation exposure on sperm count, mobility, and vitality. Mobility and vitality were described as the most regularly impacted parameters.

DOI: 10.1016/j.fjurol.2024.102800

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950393024002675

Study type: meta_analysis

Environmental Health · 2024 · Manual

This meta-analysis of 19 case-control and five cohort studies reported increased pooled odds ratios for brain tumors in several higher-exposure proxy categories, including ipsilateral use (OR 1.40) and >10 years of use (OR 1.27) versus non-regular users. By tumor type, statistically significant increased odds were reported for ipsilateral use for meningioma, glioma, and malignant brain tumors, and for >10 years of use for glioma. Cohort-study pooled risk ratios were described as statistically equivocal, though point estimates for acoustic neuroma were higher for ever-use and >10 years of use versus never-use.

DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01117-8

Study URL: https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12940-024-

Study type: meta_analysis

Environmental Health · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review and meta-analysis reports significantly elevated risks for three types of brain tumors when analyses focused on tumors occurring on the same side of the head where the phone was used. It also reports that heavy and long-term cell phone use was consistently linked with increased brain tumor risk, and notes agreement with several prior meta-analyses (2016–2020).

Study URL: https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA815839953&sid=sitemap&v=2.1&it=r&p=AONE&userGroupName=anon%7E5c5496f1&aty=open-web-entry

Study type: systematic_review

Applied Sciences · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review included 86 RF-EMF exposure measurement papers (61 spot-measurement studies and 25 mixed-method studies). Reported mean exposure values ranged from 0.0600 W/m2 (Palestine) to 200,000 W/m2 (Norway; 0.200 W/m2). The review reports that measured RF-EMF exposure levels across microenvironments were minimal and far below ICNIRP guideline reference levels, while recommending continued monitoring as 5G technologies expand.

DOI: 10.3390/app142311161

Study URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11161

Study type: meta_analysis

Open Med (Wars) · 2023 · Manual

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 studies reports that fetal and childhood abnormalities were more common among parents exposed to EMFs compared with non-exposed groups (reported pooled SMD 0.25, with high heterogeneity). It also reports increased odds for fetal developmental disorders, childhood cancer, and childhood development disorders, and higher levels of several cord-blood biomarkers (gene expression changes, oxidant parameters, and DNA damage parameters) in exposed versus non-exposed groups. The authors note substantial heterogeneity for several outcomes and caution that exposure measurement limitations and study designs (often case–control) mean results should be interpreted cautiously.

DOI: 10.1515/med-2023-0697

Study URL: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/med-2023-0697/html?lang=en

Study type: meta_analysis

Bioelectromagnetics · 2024 · Manual

This systematic review included 51 studies of mobile phone RF-EMF effects on human EEG/ERP; none were judged free from risk of bias. The authors report evidence of an effect on EEG for a 2G protocol under an eyes-open resting condition, and did not find evidence for EEG effects during task performance. They also report that heterogeneity limited the ability to build an evidence base for most comparisons.

DOI: 10.1002/bem.22531

Study URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bem.22531

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2025 · Manual

This systematic review of cohort and case-control studies (26 articles, 1988–2019) reported no statistically significant associations between mobile phone use (ever/regular or long-term 10+ years) and risks of leukaemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or thyroid cancer in pooled analyses. Occupational RF-EMF exposure (exposed vs unexposed) was also not associated with increased risk of lymphohematopoietic system tumours or oral cavity/pharynx cancer in pooled analyses. Evidence for fixed-site transmitters and for other less-researched neoplasms was insufficient for quantitative synthesis; one study on base stations reported no statistically significant associations with lymphoma outcomes or chronic lymphatic leukaemia in adults.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109274

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500025X

Study type: systematic_review

Environment International · 2025 · Manual

This systematic review included 52 experimental animal studies (including 20 chronic bioassays) and used narrative synthesis due to heterogeneity. It reports high certainty of evidence for increased risk of malignant heart schwannomas and glial cell-derived brain neoplasms (gliomas) in male rats with RF EMF exposure, and moderate certainty for increased risks of several other cancers (e.g., lymphoma, pheochromocytoma, hepatoblastomas, lung neoplasms). Most studies reported no or minimal evidence of cancer effects in multiple other organ systems.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109482

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002338

Study type: systematic_review

Bioelectromagnetics · 2025 · Manual

Across 28 articles, most studies reported no significant effect of RF-EMF exposure on resting heart rate in healthy humans across a wide range of frequencies and durations. For HRV, findings were generally null in calm resting conditions, but some studies reported position-dependent changes, particularly in antenna-based setups. The review notes that RF exposure may affect cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms during physiological challenges, but evidence was described as insufficient for firm conclusions.

DOI: 10.1002/bem.70014

Study URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bem.70014

Study type: meta_analysis

2017 · Manual

In meta-analyses of occupational risk factors for Parkinson's disease, pesticide exposure was associated with increased risk (weighted RR 1.67, 95% CI 1.42–1.97). Studies on exposure to metals or electromagnetic fields did not show increased risk.

DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3641

Study URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=28379585

Study type: systematic_review

2019 · Manual

This systematic review included 22 studies (7182 cases) on cell phone-related RF exposure (reported range 450–3800 MHz) and thyroid outcomes. Across included studies, some reported changes in T3/T4 and TSH (with several reporting decreases and others increases or non-significant changes), and seven studies reported reduced thyroid follicle/cell volume/diameter. The authors conclude that reduced thyroid follicle diameter is potentially linked with cell phone radiation, while noting further research is needed regarding TSH and thyroid hormone suppression.

DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05096-z

Study URL: https://www.saferemr.com/2014/07/is-mobile-phone-use-contributing-to.html

Study type: meta_analysis

2016 · Manual

This meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials (592 patients) reported that pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) performed better than control for postherpetic neuralgia across several timepoints for pain scores and some response-rate measures, and side effects were less frequent with PRF. PRF did not show a better effect than control for radicular pain at 3 months.

Study URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27676660?dopt=Abstract

Study type: systematic_review

2017 · Manual

This systematic review included 22 case-control studies and a meta-analysis of 14 case-control studies reported little to no overall increase in brain tumour risk (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92–1.14). For long-term mobile phone use (≥10 years or >1640 h), the meta-analysis reported an increased risk (1.33 times). Metaregression suggested the association varied with methodological study quality, while the relationship with funding source was not statistically significant.

DOI: 10.1007/s10072-017-2850-8

Study URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28213724

Study type: systematic_review

2021 · Manual

This umbrella review of meta-analyses reports that long-term exposure to extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields was found associated as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and childhood leukemia in included meta-analyses. It also reports indoor radon exposure above 100 Bq/m3 as a risk factor for lung cancer and an association with childhood leukemia in other meta-analyses. The review summarizes 197 associations across 69 environmental exposures and 83 diseases/death causes from 103 publications.

Study URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/704/htm

Study type: meta_analysis

Bioelectromagnetics · 2021 · Manual

This systematic review identified eight studies on mobile phone use and tinnitus, and meta-analyzed six high-quality studies. Cohort studies using network operator exposure data reported no significantly increased tinnitus risk among highly exposed versus lightly exposed users (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.93–1.15). Studies using self-reported exposure also did not find an association in pooled analyses.

DOI: 10.1002/bem.22316 · PMID: 33440459

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33440459/

Study type: systematic_review

Environment international · 2021 · Manual

This paper describes a protocol to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed in vitro studies on whether controlled RF-EMF exposures induce genotoxic effects in mammalian cells. It outlines planned search strategies, eligibility criteria, risk-of-bias assessment, and evidence appraisal methods, and notes that a meta-analysis will be performed if sufficiently homogeneous subgroups are identified.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106386 · PMID: 33486297

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33486297/

Study type: meta_analysis

2021 · Manual

Across pooled human cross-sectional studies, the authors report no overall association between mobile phone use and reduced sperm quality, with heterogeneity partly attributed to study area. In subgroup analyses, mobile phone use was reported as correlated with decreased sperm density and motility in East Europe and West Asia. The meta-analysis reports that mobile phone RF-EMR exposure decreased motility and viability of mature human sperm in vitro and suppressed sperm motility and viability in animal studies, with some reductions in sperm density under specific animal conditions (e.g., mice; older or restrained rats).

DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116952

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749121005340

Study type: meta_analysis

2021 · Manual

This systematic review/meta-analysis (30 studies; 186,223 participants) reported higher odds of childhood leukemia at ELF magnetic field exposure thresholds of 0.2 µT (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.06–1.49) and 0.4 µT (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.25–2.35), while the 0.3 µT estimate was not statistically significant (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.93–1.61). For childhood brain tumors and any childhood cancers, the reported odds ratios were closer to null and/or imprecise, with confidence intervals including 1. The authors conclude significant associations for childhood leukemia and describe a possible dose-response pattern.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251628

Study URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0251628

Study type: systematic_review

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2021 · Manual

This systematic review (22 included papers) reports that changes in calcium homeostasis attributable to voltage-gated calcium channels were the most commonly reported outcome of EMF exposure. The review describes diverse and parameter-dependent effects of EMFs on neuronal ion channels (e.g., gating dynamics, conductance, membrane concentration, and gene/protein expression), while also noting that results across studies are often conflicting and that some studies report no significant effects.

DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14597 · PMID: 33945157

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33945157/

Study type: meta_analysis

2021 · Manual

This dose-response meta-analysis of six studies found little evidence of a positive association between residential magnetic field exposure (assessed by distance to overhead power lines and/or magnetic-field modelling) and ALS risk. The highest exposure categories suggested decreased risk for both distance-based and especially modelling-based estimates, but the estimates were imprecise. Dose-response analysis showed little association between distance from power lines and ALS and no evidence of a threshold.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91349-2

Study URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91349-2

Study type: systematic_review

Acta neurologica Scandinavica · 2021 · Manual

This systematic review identified 33 relevant studies (19 animal/computational and 14 human). Findings were mixed: about half of animal studies and half of human studies suggested detrimental effects of EMFs on brain function/seizure activity, while the remainder did not. The authors state that none of the included studies provided a good level of evidence and recommend prudent, exposure-reducing use.

DOI: 10.1111/ane.13492 · PMID: 34180044

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34180044/

Study type: systematic_review

2021 · Manual

This paper presents a protocol for a planned systematic review evaluating associations between short-term RF-EMF exposure and cognitive performance in randomized human experimental studies. It describes planned search strategies, eligibility criteria, risk-of-bias assessment, and approaches for meta-analysis or narrative synthesis, but does not report results.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106783

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004086?via%3Dihub

Study type: meta_analysis

Reviews on environmental health · 2021 · Manual

This systematic review and meta-analysis included five observational studies (two cross-sectional and three cohort) totaling 92,978 participants. The pooled estimate showed no significant association between mobile phone use and hearing impairment (overall OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.94–1.20), with similarly non-significant results in cross-sectional and cohort strata.

DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0062 · PMID: 34293837

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34293837/

Study type: meta_analysis

Environmental research · 2021 · Manual

This PRISMA-conducted systematic review and updated meta-analysis of 18 studies (4280 samples) reports that mobile phone exposure is associated with reduced sperm motility, viability, and concentration. The abstract states that the decrease in sperm quality after RF-EMW exposure was not significant even when mobile phone usage increased, and that this pattern was consistent across in vitro and in vivo studies. The discussion emphasizes accumulated in vivo evidence as harmful to sperm quality and calls for additional studies on newer phone models.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111784 · PMID: 34333014

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34333014/

Study type: meta_analysis

2021 · Manual

This systematic review/meta-analysis summarized 92 in vitro studies (1999–2019) and reports that, among 2421 human cell experiments, cellular changes were observed in 51.05% of observations. The review reports potential PEMF effects in some human cell types (e.g., MG-63 osteosarcoma cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells) and lower sensitivity in others (e.g., SaOS-2 and adipose-derived MSCs). It also suggests that frequencies >100 Hz, flux densities 1–10 mT, and chronic exposure >10 days were more effective at producing cellular responses.

DOI: 10.1155/2021/6647497

Study URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8342182/

Study type: systematic_review

2021 · Manual

Across 23 studies meeting basic quality criteria (epidemiological, human experimental, in vivo, and in vitro) using realistic WiFi exposure settings, most outcomes were reported as not associated with WiFi exposure. Sporadic positive findings were described as inconsistent across outcomes and without consistent exposure-response patterns. The review concludes it does not suggest detrimental health effects from WiFi exposure below regulatory limits.

DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2021.1951549

Study URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2021.1951549

Study type: systematic_review

2021 · Manual

This paper describes a protocol for a systematic review of human observational studies on longer-term or repeated RF-EMF exposure and symptoms (including tinnitus, migraine, headaches, sleep disturbances, and composite symptom scores). It outlines planned methods for searching, study selection (cohort, case-control, panel), risk-of-bias assessment, and evidence grading; it does not report results.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106852

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004773?via%3Dihub

Study type: systematic_review

2021 · Manual

This article describes protocols for a WHO-funded systematic review and meta-analysis assessing effects of controlled RF-EMF exposures (100 kHz–300 GHz) on male fertility and pregnancy/birth outcomes in experimental mammals and on human sperm exposed in vitro. It does not report results of the review.

DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/7mus3

Study URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004311

Study type: systematic_review

Environment international · 2021 · Manual

This paper presents a protocol for a WHO-commissioned systematic review to assess whether human observational studies support a causal association between RF-EMF exposure and neoplastic diseases. It describes planned eligibility criteria, search sources, risk-of-bias assessment, and approaches to meta-analysis or narrative synthesis, but does not report results.

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106828 · PMID: 34433115

Study URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34433115/