New Study: Cell Tower Radiation Increased Oxidative Stress in Honeybees After One Year

A new 2024 study Oxidative Stress Response of Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) during Long-Term Exposure at a Frequency of 900 MHz under Field Conditions by Vilić et al., published in the journal Insects, studied fifteen honey bee colonies exposed for one year to RF-EMFs emitted by base stations (cell towers) at a frequency of 900 MHz in three locations with different electric field levels. The researchers observed impacts at various developmental stages including larvae, pupae and adult honey bees and they found the wireless exposure “can cause oxidative stress in honey bees, with the larval stage being more sensitive than the pupal stage.” 

In their paper documenting the study, the authors referenced the results of “numerous studies on the effects of RF-EMFs after short-term exposure” that “indicate that electromagnetic radiation at the frequency of mobile telephony can cause the increased formation of reactive compounds, even at low intensity, thus inducing oxidative stress as well as suppression of the immune system and antioxidant defense mechanisms.”  

They conclude of this longer term study in which bees were exposed for a full year that, “therefore, our results show the need for further research in the developmental stages of honey bees, including not only oxidative stress parameters but, as far as possible, expression of the gene for the antioxidant enzymes, genotoxic parameters and a greater number of variations of RF-EMF sources in the natural conditions.” 

“These findings indicate that the honey bees located at a higher field level are exposed to higher oxidative stress than the honey bee colonies located at a lower electric field level, which can also explain the results of our previous work [28], in which the authors demonstrated increased aggressiveness and restlessness of adult bees and an accelerated process of silent queen replacement in the colonies located in a field level of 1000 mV m−1.

“Antioxidant parameters such as glutathione-S-transferase, catalase and superoxide dismutase, as well as the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, were measured in samples of larvae, pupae and the midguts of adult honey bees. Our results show that the activity of antioxidant enzymes changes and that the level of the analyzed parameters depends on the developmental stage of the honey bee, the level of the electric field and the exposure time.”

Vilić M, Žura Žaja I, Tkalec M, Tucak P, Malarić K, Popara N, Žura N, Pašić S, Gajger IT. Oxidative Stress Response of Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) during Long-Term Exposure at a Frequency of 900 MHz under Field Conditions. Insects. 2024; 15(5):372. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15050372