Does EMF exposure pose a risk to human health? Exploring three NextGEM studies
NextGEM is an EU-funded project dedicated to exploring whether exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) can affect human health. Partners will achieve this objective through various lanes of research, including methodologies and experimental procedures. The goal is to evaluate the effects of RF exposure in multiple frequency bands in in vitro and in vivo biological models. In this framework, three NextGEM partners explain their studies, which will shed light on this question.
Spanish partners ICMAB-CSIC showed us how they work with the nematode C. elegans and why this is useful to assess the biological effects of EMF. These tiny worms can be used as a first step to screen and evaluate materials to drugs and even EMF and to try to elucidate human-scale repercussions. In the following video, Dr. Pol Alonso explained the similarities between this worm’s biology and the human body’s, and how ICMAB works with C.elegans:
In Naples, Italy, the Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment of the National Research Council of Italy (IREA-CNR) presented us the Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory. This lab is fully equipped for carrying out NextGEM experiments on human cell cultures and explore the effects on cancer-related endpoints due to RF exposure in different frequency ranges. In the framework of a collaboration between IREA-CNR and ICMAB-CSIC, in which the ICMAB’s expertise with C. elegans is combined with CNR’s expertise in bioelectromagnetics, the IREA lab will also host the in vivo experiments on this model organism.
In Belgium, Sciensano showed us the premises of the Scientific Institute of Public Service (ISSeP). There, they house an exposure system for EMF-effects tests on humans. Sciensano and ISSeP will undertake short acute exposures (45 minutes long) to a 5G (26.5 GHz) on healthy volunteers. With this, the project will investigate whether or not the controlled exposure could affect various parameters in red blood cells.
