Speaker
Description
In the last years, the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) of mobile communication technology is receiving considerable attention for the potential harmful effects particularly when combined with other environmental exposures like UV radiation. This study focuses on assessing the cytotoxic effects of exposure to a 26.5 GHz, 5G modulated signal either alone or in combination with UVB radiation, on human lens epithelial cells. Lens B3 cell model was chosen given the low penetration depth of the frequency of interest and the implication of UV radiation in a spectrum of ocular pathologies.
A reverberation chamber-based exposure setup, well characterized in terms of dosimetry and environmental parameters, was used for 5G RF exposure, while a customized UV exposure system was designed and realized to deliver specific UVB radiation (280–320 nm).
No effects of RF exposure alone and in combination with UVB were detected in terms of cell viability, although further investigations are planned by changing the SAR level and the UVB dose. The experiments to evaluate the effects of RF exposure/co-exposure in terms of oxidative stress are in progress and will be presented at the BioEM conference.
