Sensitivity of plants to high frequency electromagnetic radiation: cellular mechanisms and morphological changes

Abstract

Overview

The increase in wireless communication devices has significantly raised the radiofrequency electromagnetic field radiation (EMF-r) in our environment, impacting various life forms, including plants. This study focuses on plants, exploring how EMF-r influences their growth and development.

Findings

• EMF-r exposure in plants increases ROS metabolism and cytosolic calcium, inducing several cellular responses like gene expression changes and enzymatic activities.
• These responses may alter cellular structures or delay plant growth, suggesting EMF-r should be considered a serious environmental signal integrated into plant development.

Conclusion

There is evidence of EMF-r as an environmental factor, affecting plant growth and development on both molecular and whole plant levels. Factors such as calcium and ROS are pivotal in plant responses to EMF-r. The complexity of EMF-r effects, being species and condition specific, calls for standardized exposure procedures to better understand its impacts. The study emphasizes the potential secondary conditioning of plants to other stressors due to constant EMF-r exposure, leading to an adaptive memory in plants. This aspect, alongside broader global research approaches like RNA sequencing and metabolomics, warrants further investigation to fully decipher the pathways affected by EMF-r.