Is there evidence that the next FEMA emergency test will not really be a test but a cover for the government to send high-frequency signals activating "nanoparticles including graphene oxide" into phones, TVs and radios, possibly causing DNA damage in people? No, that's not true: On August 3, 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced there would be a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on October 4, 2023. The message will be delivered via text to phones, on TV stations and via radio stations. The person in a video making the claim offers no evidence that the signals or messages will activate nanoparticles and graphene oxide. The post cites a study published in 2019 -- but that study makes no mention of graphene oxide being transmitted through a signal to phones, TVs or radios.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published on Instagram on September 19, 2023. It opened:
Will you have your phone off? Israel, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the rest of the United States...I'm not taking chances with FEMA and 'tests' https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230803/fema-and-fcc-plan-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-oct-4-2023
This is how the post appeared on Instagram at the time of writing:
(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Wed Sept 20 14:12:22 2023 UTC)
The woman in the video claims:
There has been a warning going around that on October 4, and if it doesn't happen on October 4 it's going to be on October 11 at 2:22 Eastern. The emergency broadcasting system under FEMA is going to be activated. And you know this is like the high pitched beep saying 'this is only a test.' It's not a test. It's going to be sending these high frequency signals into cell phones, radios, TVs. The intention of activating nano particles, including graphene oxide.
FEMA announced the test on August 3, 2023, in a message posted on their website titled "FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023" (archived here), noting "Test Messages Will be Sent to All TVs, Radios and Cell Phones." The alternate date of October 11, 2023, will be used "in case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events." The website stated:
The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.
The person in the video on Instagram says the high-frequency signal messages will activate "nanoparticles, including graphene oxide" and claims:
What does graphene oxide do to the human body? Well, it induces cell toxicity through plasma membrane damage, generation of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage. DNA damage. Any concentration above 20 micrograms per millimeter for 24 hours is considered toxic.
The person making the claim shows a screenshot of a search for "What is graphene oxide do to the human body?" The top result appears to match a 2019 study titled "Evaluation of Graphene Oxide Induced Cellular Toxicity and Transcriptome Analysis in Human Embryonic Kidney Cells" (archived here). Nowhere in the study is there a mention of graphene oxide being able to be activated by a high-frequency sound or signal.
Graphite is a three-dimensional carbon crystal. Graphene is a single layer of honeycomb-shaped carbon lattice that is only one molecule thick. It is considered a two-dimensional material. Graphene oxide, an oxidized form, can be dispersed in water and other solvents. Graphene was only discovered in 2004. There are many potential uses for the new material being studied. Britannica.com has a video that introduces some of the potential applications scientists are looking into, such as flexible solar panels and touchscreen displays.
Lead Stories has debunked multiple claims about graphene oxide that you can find here.
