REFLEX study

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The REFLEX study is a project funded by the European Union as part of the Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources program and carried out by the Foundation for Behavior and the Environment , a foundation established by the Association of the Cigarette Industry , to research possible genetic damage High-frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF), such as those used in cellular technology. This study was conducted because, in the opinion of the study's authors, all previous epidemiological and animal research on the subject failed to provide clarity.

Results of the study

According to the REFLEX study, both DCS 1800 and GSM 900 are said to be able to cause damage to the structure and function of human genes below the legal limit of 2 W / kg . Both intermittent and continuous exposure are said to have increased single and double-strand breaks in the DNA of human fibroblasts as well as HL60 cells and granulosa cells from rats on but not in human lymphocytes . Furthermore, an increase in micronuclei and chromosome aberrations in human fibroblasts as well as changes in gene expression in several types of cells , in particular in human endothelial cells and embryonic stem cells from mice , are said to have been found. According to the study, a significant increase in DNA strand breaks in human fibroblasts was already detectable at the SAR value of 0.3 W / kg.

financing

The EU funding ran under the name QLK4-CT-1999-01574, the name REFLEX stands for "risk evaluation of potential environmental hazards from low energy electromagnetic field exposure using sensitive in vitro methods". The research was carried out in the years 2000–2004 by twelve research groups (eleven plus the research institute) from seven European countries and were funded by more than 2 million euros and a further total of around 1 million euros from the Swiss and the Finnish government as well as own funds of the Foundation for Behavior and Environment . This research was carried out as part of the EU Commission's 5th Framework Research Program .

Counterfeit allegations

According to media reports, a publication of the REFLEX study, as well as a follow-up publication, is considered invalid with regard to allegedly identified strand breaks in the genome. Anomalies in the evaluation were criticized, but the publication was not withdrawn. A deliberate falsification could neither be proven nor refuted by two independent bodies: The Austrian Agency for Scientific Integrity determined that “the allegations of falsification could not be verified”, but the “documentation of the original data and its presentation” did not correspond to “scientific practice” . The Council for Scientific Ethics of the Medical University of Vienna criticized the approach and the co-authorship of a laboratory employee in its final report. In 2015, it obtained an injunction against the allegation of forgery.

verification

When the experiments were repeated by the human geneticist Günter Speit , the results could not be reproduced. A repetition of parts succeeded an author who was involved in the REFLEX study. The repetition, along with the original work, was described by the investigating bodies as not scientifically reliable. A second attempt to replicate other partial results of the REFLEX study by Speit, this time with the collaboration of the authors of the original work, also failed.

The AUVA's ATHEM reports show the existence of sensitive and radiation-insensitive cells, which could explain Speit's first negative result. The existence of a latency period (beginning of exposure until the occurrence of effects) was confirmed. As a cellular mechanism - i.e. how DNA changes can occur in sensitive cells - it was found that RF-EMF exposure can oxidize the DNA and thus make it brittle. In cells under additional stress, RF-EMF exposure increased the DNA break rate.

Others

A research group did not want to endorse the résumé of the project coordinator Franz Adlkofer .

The Reflex study had initially apparently shown that with extremely strong fields, there can be a reproducible relationship between everyday electromagnetic radiation and cell damage. These laboratory results, even assuming that they are correct, did not allow any conclusions to be drawn about diseases that are caused by such radiation.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c EU projects; REFLEX ( English , 33 kB) Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved on February 11, 2010: “A project funded by the EU under the program“ Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources ”, Key Action 4“ Environment and Health ": QLK4-CT-1999-01574"
  2. ^ Franz Adlkofer : Results from the REFLEX project. Lecture at the 7th workshop “Electromagnetic fields in the environment” ( aekwien.at PDF; 621 kB); Ministry for the Environment and Nature Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection NRW, Düsseldorf; December 2, 2004, p. 2.
  3. ↑ Effects of mobile and communications radio , series of brochures by the Competence Initiative for the Protection of People, the Environment and Democracy e. V. Issue 3, 2008, ISBN 978-3-9812598-1-0 .
  4. ^ Elisabeth Diem, Claudia Schwarz, Franz Adlkofer, Oswald Jahn, Hugo Rüdiger: Non-thermal DNA breakage by mobile-phone radiation (1800 MHz) in human fibroblasts and in transformed GFSH-R17 rat granulosa cells in vitro . In: Mutation Research / Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis . tape 583 , no. 2 , June 6, 2005, ISSN  1383-5718 , p. 178-183 , doi : 10.1016 / j.mrgentox.2005.03.006 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed January 9, 2020]).
  5. ↑ a b Claudia Schwarz, Elisabeth Kratochvil, Alexander Pilger, Niels Kuster, Franz Adlkofer: Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (UMTS, 1.950 MHz) induce genotoxic effects in vitro in human fibroblasts but not in lymphocytes . In: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health . tape 81 , no. 6 , May 1, 2008, ISSN  1432-1246 , p. 755-767 , doi : 10.1007 / s00420-008-0305-5 .
  6. ↑ Manfred Dworschak: Cellular: caught doing tricks. In: Der Spiegel. May 26, 2008, accessed on January 8, 2020 (Der Spiegel, issue 22/2008).
  7. ↑ Alexander Lerchl, Adalbert FX Wilhelm: Critical comments on DNA breakage by mobile-phone electromagnetic fields [Diem et al., Mutat. Res. 583 (2005) 178-183] . In: Mutation Research / Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis . tape 697 , no. 1 , March 29, 2010, ISSN  1383-5718 , p. 60–65 , doi : 10.1016 / j.mrgentox.2010.01.010 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed January 9, 2020]).
  8. ^ Robert A. Baan: Letter of Concern . In: Mutation Research / Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis . tape 695 , no. 1 , January 1, 2010, ISSN  1383-5718 , p. 1 , doi : 10.1016 / j.mrgentox.2009.11.004 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed January 9, 2020]).
  9. ↑ a b c Statement of the Austrian Commission for Scientific Integrity from November 23, 2010 ( Memento from April 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ a b Final report of the Council for Scientific Ethics of the MUW of November 13, 2008. (PDF; 219 kB).
  11. ↑ Judgment of the LG Hamburg from March 13, 2015, Az. 324 O 511/14 ( pandora-stiftung.eu PDF, full text).
  12. ↑ Günter Speit, Petra Schütz, Heike Hoffmann: Genotoxic effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in cultured mammalian cells are not independently reproducible . In: Mutation Research / Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis . tape 626 , no. 1 , January 10, 2007, ISSN  1383-5718 , p. 42–47 , doi : 10.1016 / j.mrgentox.2006.08.003 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed January 9, 2020]).
  13. ↑ Günter Speit, Richard Gminski, Rudolf Tauber: Genotoxic effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in HL-60 cells are not reproducible . In: Mutation Research / Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis . tape 755 , no. 2 , August 15, 2013, ISSN  1383-5718 , p. 163–166 , doi : 10.1016 / j.mrgentox.2013.06.014 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed January 9, 2020]).
  14. ↑ ATHEM - Investigation of athermal effects of electromagnetic fields in mobile communications. In: Volume 47. AUVA, 2011, accessed on January 9, 2020 .
  15. ↑ ATHEM-2 - Investigation of athermal effects of electromagnetic fields in mobile communications. In: Volume 70. AUVA, 2016, accessed on December 29, 2016 .
  16. ↑ New explosive for discussion about cell phone danger. Electromagnetic waves with cell phone intensity caused DNA changes / data from an in vitro study. In: Doctors newspaper. June 29, 2004 ( aerztezeitung.de ).
  17. ↑ BfS statement on the REFLEX study (PDF; 118 kB).