| Title | The response of human bacteria to static magnetic field and radiofrequency electromagnetic field |
|---|---|
| Author | David P. E. Crabtree1, Brandon J. Herrera2, and Sanghoon Kang1* |
| Address | 1Department of Biology, Baylor University, Texas 76798-7388 USA, 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Baylor University, Texas 76798-7388 USA |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 55(10),809-815, 2017, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-017-7208-7 |
| Key Words | skin microbiota, bacterial growth, cell phone, SMF, RF-EMF |
| Abstract | Cell phones and electronic appliances and devices are inseparable from most people in modern society and the electromagnetic field (EMF) from the devices is a potential health threat. Although the direct health effect of a cell phone and its radiofrequency (RF) EMF to human is still elusive, the effect to unicellular organisms is rather apparent. Human microbiota, including skin microbiota, has been linked to a very significant role in the health of a host human body. It is important to understand the response of human skin microbiota to the RF-EMF from cell phones and personal electronic devices, since this may be one of the potential mechanisms of a human health threat brought about by the disruption of the intimate and balanced host-microbiota relationship. Here, we investigated the response of both laboratory culture strains and isolates of skin bacteria under static magnetic field (SMF) and RF-EMF. The growth patterns of laboratory cultures of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermidis under SMF were variable per different species. The bacterial isolates of skin microbiota from 4 subjects with different cell phone usage history also showed inconsistent growth responses. These findings led us to hypothesize that cell phone level RF-EMF disrupts human skin microbiota. Thus, the results from the current study lay ground for more comprehensive research on the effect of RF-EMF on human health through the human-microbiota relationship. |