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HELSINKI — Research in Finland indicates that protein in human cells is altered when subjected to cellphone radiation, but the health effects of such radiation remain unclear.
The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority subjected a small area of skin on the forearms of 10 female volunteers to cellphone radiation – otherwise known as radio frequency modulated electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) – for one hour.
The report found that biopsies from exposed skin showed alterations not seen in similar biopsies on non-exposed skin.
“Even if the changes are small," researcher Dariusz Leszczynski said, "they still exist.”
He said, however, that the study did not indicate any possible health hazards and was conducted to find out only if living human skin responds to cellphone radiation.
The study, published Monday in the online journal BMC Genomics, said that analysis of 580 proteins identified eight affected proteins.
The agency claimed it was the first study showing that “molecular level changes might take place in human volunteers in response to exposure to RF-EMF,” describing it as “globally unique.”
The agency said it plans a more extensive study in 2009, with 50 to 100 volunteers.
