The impact of electromagnetic radio waves on some biological aspects of Culex (Culex) pipiens Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)
by Fatma H. Galal and AlaaEddeen M. Seufi published in Bioscience Research
“CONCLUSION The present study demonstrated that the RF-exposed insects exhibited reduced developmental duration, increased percentage mortality and mail-biased sex ratio. Therefore, our findings provided additional evidence to the adverse impacts of RF-radiation on the components of ecosystem. Additional research on the molecular effects of RF-exposure on living organisms is encouraged.”
Theodora Scarato Executive Director of Environmental Health Trust stated, “The U.S. government needs to be accountable the growing evidence that insects are at risk from our love of all things wireless. The lack of accountability and regulatory gap must be urgently addressed.”
ABSTRACT: “Experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of Radio-Frequency (RF) exposure on some biological aspects of immature stages of Culex (Culex) pipiens mosquito. Immature stages of Cx. (Cx.) pipiens mosquito were collected from Giza, Egypt and maintained at the Dept. of Entomology, Fac. of Science, Cairo University. 100 first in star larvae were exposed to a single dose of discontinuous RF using GSM multiband mobile phone for 4 hours simulating phone conversation conditions. Immature duration, percentage mortality, adult emergence, and sex ratio were calculated and statistically analyzed. RF-exposed insects exhibited significant reduction in developmental duration (19 and 10.55 days for control and RE-exposed, respectively), significant increase in percentage mortality (23.8, 11.2% and 38.6, 48.8% for control and RE-exposed larval and pupal mortality, respectively) and mail-biased sex ratio (1♀: 1.34♂ and 1♀: 3.46♂ for control and RE-exposed, respectively). These results provided an evidence for the negative impact of RF-radiation on the components of ecosystem. Additional research on the molecular effects of RF-exposure on living organisms is encouraged.”
Read the full study on mosquitos here https://www.isisn.org/BR-19-2-2022/805-810-19(2)2022BR22-19.pdf
Growing Research on Environmental Effect Confirms Need For Action
This latest study adds to the conclusions of an earlier three-part research review, “Effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields on flora and fauna” in the journal “Reviews on Environmental Health,” points out that the FCC has long ignored studies on the harmful impact of wireless on wildlife. The 150-page study of over 1,200 peer reviewed studies finds that birds, insects and animals are uniquely sensitive to wireless radiation. It identifies low-level wireless as a pollutant and warns against escalating radiation levels with 5G technologies. The researchers highlight the FCC’s failure to protect the environment.
This study was featured in Report says wireless radiation may harm wildlife in the SantaFenewMexican.com
“We’ve known for a while now, through a number of scientific studies, that cellular radiation is harmful to wildlife as well as people,” said Devra Davis, Ph.D. Davis is a highly respected epidemiologist and toxicologist who has led multiple successful public health issues including the removal of smoking on planes. Davis has testified many times before congress and is part of a team that was awarded the Nobel Prize for work on climate change. She is also the founder of the Environmental Health Trust. “For instance, in addition to research demonstrating impact on humans and wildlife, studies have found cell tower radiation can damage trees and impact honeybees as well as other insects,” Davis explained.
In the series of papers on wildlife, the researchers first documented how the sharp rise in wireless radiation and other electromagnetic fields (EMF) from new technologies has created environmental exposures that 80 years ago did not exist. “Part 1: Rising ambient EMF levels in the environment,” was published in May, 2021 and concludes that “broad wildlife effects have been seen on orientation and migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance and defense, and longevity and survivorship.”
“Part 2 impacts: how species interact with natural and man-made EMF,” reviewed the studies. It notes that “many species of flora and fauna, because of unique physiologies and habitats, are sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that surpass human reactivity.” It pointed out that mammals such as bats; deer; marine animals that are whale, dolphin or porpoise; seals, walruses among others all demonstrated effects from low-level anthropogenic EMF. It also noted that effects have been observed in birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, microbes and many species of flora.
Part two of the study concludes that, “Taken as a whole, this indicates enough information to raise concerns about ambient exposures to nonionizing radiation at ecosystem levels. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. It’s time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as ‘habitat’ so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants.”
Part three of the study, “Exposure standards, public policy, laws, and future directions,” notes that, “Consequently FCC regulates and issues rule-makings in an environmental vacuum, other than minimal comments provided by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) which advises on devices like cell phones over which it has authority. FCC is now seen as an agency that is captured by the industries it is supposed to regulate and because of cutbacks at key advisory agencies like EPA, FCC lacks the wider expertise upon which it relies to conduct thorough assessments regarding exposure to safety.”
In 2019, Dr. Davis and Dr. Halgamuge published Lessons learned from the application of machine learning to studies on plant response to radio-frequency in Environmental Research extracting data from 45 articles published (1996–2016) that carried 169 experimental case studies of plant response to RF-EMF following up on earlier published work that found maize, roselle, pea, fenugreek, duckweeds, tomato, onions and mungbean plants seem to be very sensitive to RF-EMFs.
About Environmental Health Trust
Founded in 2007, Environmental Health Trust, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is a think tank that promotes a healthier environment through research, education and policy. EHT conducts cutting edge research on environmental health hazards and works with communities, health, education professionals and policymakers to understand and mitigate these hazards. Currently, EHT works with scientists, policymakers, teachers, parents and students to promote awareness on how to practice safe technology.
The Environmental Health Trust has worked on the issue of wireless radiation for over a decade submitting thousands of pages of evidence to the FCC in the years leading up to the court’s decision. EHT scientists testified in 2009 Senate hearings and 2008 congressional hearing on cell phone radiation- the last ever held. EHT scientists have continued to publish studies on the health effects of non -ionizing electromagnetic radiation and organized numerous national and international scientific conferences on the issue. EHT’s scientific publications have been submitted to the FCC record as critical evidence. Visit www.ehtrust.org for more information.
