From Cells to Planetary Health: Two Major Research Milestones for ETAIN
Understanding how new mobile technologies affect our health and our environment is not a simple task. The radiation emitted by 5G, 4G and other mobile communication technologies is part of our everyday lives, yet its potential impacts go far beyond individual devices or users. This is why the ETAIN project takes a broad and interdisciplinary approach, studying not only possible effects on humans, but also on insects, ecosystems and, ultimately, planetary health. Recently, two important research milestones achieved by ETAIN researchers have helped move this work forward in a complementary and reassuring way.
One of these milestones is the publication of a scientific paper by ETAIN researcher Magdalini Stefanopoulou, which looks at mobile technologies radiation from a planetary health perspective. While many studies have already assessed whether 5G and 4G radiation can have direct effects on human health, much less attention has been paid to possible indirect effects, such as those that could occur through impacts on ecosystems. For example, changes in insects, plants or other parts of the environment can eventually influence human wellbeing too.
In her work, Magdalini explores how these complex connections could be better understood and assessed. She proposes a new approach called a Planetary Health Impact Assessment, which aims to bring together knowledge from different scientific fields and make sense of how human health and environmental health are linked. To do this, she worked with a group of experts to map out possible pathways connecting mobile technologies radiation to both direct and indirect health effects. The study also tested whether artificial intelligence tools could help analyse large amounts of scientific literature more quickly. While these tools showed promise in exploring existing research, the results made it clear that expert knowledge is still essential to correctly interpret the information and understand its real meaning.
Building on this wider perspective, a second major milestone comes from the successful PhD defence of ETAIN researcher Jana Haidar. Jana’s research focused on a very specific and often debated question: whether exposure to radiation from 5G technologies can cause stress or damage in human skin cells. Working under carefully controlled laboratory conditions, she examined whether this type of exposure could trigger oxidative stress or interfere with the natural mechanisms that cells use to repair DNA damage.
The results of Jana’s work were clear and consistent. Under the tested conditions, exposure to 5G radiation did not cause oxidative stress, did not increase harmful molecules in the cells, and did not affect their ability to repair DNA after damage caused by ultraviolet light. These findings provide strong scientific evidence that, at the cellular level and within the studied parameters, 5G exposure does not disrupt essential biological processes.
Taken together, these two achievements reflect the strength of ETAIN’s approach. Magdalini’s research helps us understand the bigger picture, asking how mobile technologies radiation might fit into the complex relationship between humans, nature and health. Jana’s work, on the other hand, provides solid experimental evidence that helps clarify specific concerns often raised around 5G. By combining these perspectives, ETAIN contributes to a more balanced, transparent and evidence-based discussion about mobile technologies, supporting informed decisions for both society and policy.
