Does Exposure to a Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Modify Thermal Preference in Juvenile Rats?
Pelletier A, Delanaud S, de Seze R, Bach V, Libert JP, Loos N. · 2014
View Original AbstractCell phone frequency radiation altered rats' sleep patterns and temperature preferences, potentially explaining sleep problems reported near cell towers.
Plain English Summary
French researchers exposed young rats to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for five weeks. The exposed rats slept 15.5% longer and preferred warmer temperatures than unexposed rats, suggesting radiofrequency radiation disrupts natural temperature control and sleep patterns.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to our understanding of how radiofrequency radiation affects sleep and thermoregulation. The 900 MHz frequency used matches cell phone networks, and the exposure level (1 V/m) is within the range of everyday environmental exposure near cell towers. What makes this research particularly significant is that it identifies a potential biological mechanism for the sleep disturbances reported by people living near base stations. The fact that exposed animals needed warmer temperatures to sleep normally suggests RF-EMF may interfere with the body's temperature sensing systems. The 15.5% increase in sleep duration might represent a compensatory response as the body works harder to achieve restorative sleep under RF exposure. This connects real-world complaints about sleep problems near cell towers to measurable biological changes in laboratory conditions.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 1 V/m
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
Exposure Context
This study used 1 V/m for electric fields:
- 3.3x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Study Details
Here, we sought to establish whether sleep disturbances might result from the disturbance of thermoregulatory processes by a RF-EMF.
We recorded thermal preference and sleep stage distribution in 18 young male Wistar rats. Nine anima...
Our results indicated that relative to control group, exposure to RF-EMF at 31°C was associated with...
We conclude that RF-EMF exposure induced a shift in thermal preference towards higher temperatures. The shift in preferred temperature might result from a cold thermal sensation. The change in sleep stage distribution may involve signals from thermoreceptors in the skin. Modulation of SWS may be a protective adaptation in response to RF-EMF exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2014_does_exposure_to_a_169,
author = {Pelletier A and Delanaud S and de Seze R and Bach V and Libert JP and Loos N.},
title = {Does Exposure to a Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Modify Thermal Preference in Juvenile Rats?},
year = {2014},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0099007},
}