Nanoparticles are used in many cosmetic products including moisturisers, hair care products, make- up and sunscreen. Why and how does this relate to radiofrequency exposure? 

Read more in our December 2023 newsletter https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/nanoparticles-rfr-and-skin

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• A French research project: 5G RFR (26 GHz) and co-exposures with nanoparticles (PCC-NPs) in personal care/cosmetic products

Background

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has selected 45 research projects which will receive funding amounting to a total of €7.41 million. This research seeks to provide new knowledge on environmental risks to human health in the general or occupational populations, as well as on risks to ecosystems.

The research projects include five on 5G deployment and two on assessing the biological effects of radiofrequency radiation. https://www.anses.fr/en/content/pnr-est-projects-selected-2023?fbclid=IwAR118efqiWEDz0pi20p6kBQOYCkUX25TmwkGNSCp5sExPbG3FlQB1rzHaZE

5G-5-CARA: for a full summary of this research project, please see:

Page 7-9

https://www.anses.fr/en/system/files/APR2023-Recueil-des-resumes-projets-retenus.pdf

The aim is to assess the potential health risks upon exposure to 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (5G-EMF) 

• In the 26GHz band alone,
•  and in combination with  nanoparticles derived from personal care/cosmetic products

Why 26GHz?

The higher the frequency, the less penetration into tissues and organs.

As a consequence of the weaker penetration, studies of effects and potential risks are more focused on human skin, eyes and nerve endings.

Nanoparticles

Nowadays nanoparticles are ubiquitous in different kinds of personal skin care products, such as deodorants, creams, sunscreens.

In addition to the possible local enhancement of nearfield induced by exposure to 5G EMF in the vicinity of nanoparticles, PCC-NPs may induce oxidative stress, trigger redox reactions, and cause premature aging or other potentially harmful biological effects, which have not yet been studied.

• An Iranian study: Indirect effects of interference of two emerging environmental contaminants on cell health: Radiofrequency radiation and gold nanoparticles

In this study the authors investigated the Bystander Effect (BE)  induced by RFR in the presence of gold nanoparticles (GNP). 

The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was also studied.

The results for the first time indicated that RFR induces indirect effects in the presence of GNP. However, the molecular mediators of these effects differ from those in the absence of GNP. The authors state that, to their knowledge, this is the first study to show that COX-2 is not involved in the bystander effect induced by 900 MHz RFR.

Reference: Najmeh Jooyan, Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi, Bahram Goliaei, Reza Faraji-Dana, Indirect effects of interference of two emerging environmental contaminants on cell health: Radiofrequency radiation and gold nanoparticles, Chemosphere, Volume 349, 2024, 140942, ISSN 0045-6535, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140942. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653523032125?via%3Dihub

• General note about gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have now been used in skin care creams for several years, with marketed anti-aging, moisturizing, and regenerative properties. Information on the harmful effects of these nanoparticles is lacking, a concern for the use of AuNPs as cosmetic ingredients. Reference: Majerič P, Jović Z, Švarc T, Jelen Ž, Horvat A, Koruga D, Rudolf R. Physicochemical Properties of Gold Nanoparticles for Skin Care Creams. Materials (Basel). 2023 Apr 11;16(8):3011. doi: 10.3390/ma16083011. PMID: 37109847; PMCID: PMC10144145. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37109847/

• Cumulative effects of manganese nanoparticle and radiofrequency radiation in male Wistar rats

 In this study, adult male Wistar rats were exposed to manganese nanoparticles (MNPs) and mobile phone radiation for 45 days and their separate, as well as cumulative impact, was investigated.

The effect of the MNPs and RFR on liver, kidney, and reproductive parameters were studied. Histopathology as well as liver and kidney parameters were altered when exposed to MNPs and RFR separately. However, their combined treatment did not show a synergistic toxic response in liver and kidney functions.

MNPs and RFR both caused a highly significant decrease in sperm count, which further decreased in the combined treatment (MNPs + RFR). These results indicate that the combined treatment of these stressors can have an additive toxic response to the male reproductive system.

Reference: Sonali Pardhiya, Usha Singh Gaharwar, Rohit Gautam, Eepsita Priyadarshini, Jay Prakash Nirala & Paulraj Rajamani (2022) Cumulative effects of manganese nanoparticle and radiofrequency radiation in male Wistar rats, Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 45:3, 1395-1407, DOI: 10.1080/01480545.2020.1833905

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