The effects of EMF radiation on the growth of tadpoles

In 2010, the noted environmental scientist ALFONSO BALMORI, studied the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the development and growth of tadpoles in the small town of Valladolid in Spain, exposing the eggs and tadpoles of the common frog (Rana temporaria) to several mobile phone antennae.

The tadpoles were placed in two tanks with oxygen and food every day, which were set out on a fifth floor terrace at a distance of 140 meters from four base station located opposite.  The base stations were on a roof of an eight story high building.

In both experimental and control groups (n+70 in each) the experiment lasted two months, from eggs phase until an advanced phase of tadpole prior to metamorphosis.  The control group was in a Faraday cage (metallic shielding component: EMC-reinforment fabrics 97442 Marburg Technic)

The studies were conducted in the field and the results were startling.

Several studies on effects of electromagnetic fields on amphibians have been conducted in laboratories.  When amphibian eggs and embyos and Ambytoma maculatum and Rana sylvatica were exposed to high magnetic fields (6.3 x 10³ G), a brief treatment of early embryos produced several types of abnormalities, including mocrocephaly, retarded (abnormal) growth, edema, and scoliosis (Levengood, 1969).

Adult newts (Notophalmus viridescens) exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic field (1 T and 0.15V/m, approx) for the first 30 days post forlimbs were amputated and produced more abnormalities in their skeletal patterns than the native limbs or the normal regenerates.  12% exhibited unique abnormalities not observed in either the native of regenerate limb population.  These forelimbs demonstrated one or more of the following gross defects: acheira (lack of carpus and digits), aphalangia, or oligodactylia _loss of digits) and well as carpel bone and long bone (radius and ulna) abnormalities (Landesman and Douglas, 1990).

Exposed frog tadpoles (Rana temporaria) developed under electromagnetic field (50Hz, 260 A/m) show an increase in mortality.  Exposed tadpoles developed more slowly and less synchronously than control tadpoles and remained at the early stages for longer.  Tadpoles developed allergies and EMF caused changes in their blood counts (Grefner et al., 1998).  These results are consistent with the observations of this work.

Deformities and disappearance of amphibians and other organisms is part of the global biodiversity crisis (Blaustein and Johnson, 2003).  Some authors consider that the  electromagnetic pollution is destroying nature (Warnke, 2007; Firstenberg, 1997), Balmori (2006) proposed that electromagnetic pollution (in the microwave and radiofrequency range) along with other environmental factors is a possible cause for the decline and deformations of some wild amphibian populations exposed.  The results of this experiment conducted in a real situation in the city of Valladolid (Spain) indicate that the tadpoles that live near such facilities, exposed to relatively low levels of environmental electromagnetic fields (1.8 – 3.5 V/m) may suffer adverse effects (low coordination of movements, asynchronous growth, and high mortality), and this may be a cause (together with other environmental factors) of decline of amphibian populations.

The original paper can be found here: http://www.ct.gov/csc/lib/csc/pendingproceeds/docket_409/inlandwetland/409-iw_exh69-79.pdf#page=2