Morphometry of red blood cells in sow blood: effects of short-term <i>in Vitro</i> exposure to 5G network frequencies

The effects of 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) on complete blood count (CBC) and RBC morphometric parameters in pigs are unknown. Aim of this study was to determine effect of 5G RF-EMR at different frequencies on CBC and RBC morphometry after short-term in vitro exposure of sow blood. Blood samples were taken from 16 sows aged 1 to 2 years. Three ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes per sow were labelled as experimental tubes and three as control tubes. Experimental samples were placed in a Half-cone gigahertz transversal electromagnetic cell and exposed to 5G RF-EMR at 700 MHz, 2500 MHz and 3500 MHz with electric field strength of 10 V/m for 2 hours. CBC was determined using a haematology analyser. RBC morphometric parameters were determined using the computer-assisted program SFORM. The most detrimental effect on sow RBC morphometry was observed after exposure at 700 MHz, resulting in significantly more elongated and irregularly bordered RBCs. These results suggest that in vitro exposure to 5G RF-EMR may impact RBC shape and mechanical properties or integrity, which could affect cell function. This study provides first evidence of frequency-dependent effects of 5G RF-EMR on RBC morphometry and CBC parameters in pigs, offering novel insights for veterinary and translational research.