Spatial memory and learning performance and its relationship to protein synthesis of Swiss albino mice exposed to 10 GHz microwaves.
Sharma A, Sisodia R, Bhatnagar D, Saxena VK. · 2014
View Original AbstractMice exposed to 10 GHz microwaves at 0.179 W/kg showed impaired learning and memory plus reduced brain proteins.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 10 GHz microwave radiation for two hours daily over 30 days, then tested their memory using a water maze. Exposed mice took significantly longer to learn and remember locations, suggesting microwave exposure may impair memory formation and learning ability.
Why This Matters
This study adds to mounting evidence that radiofrequency radiation affects cognitive function, even at relatively low exposure levels. The SAR of 0.179 W/kg is well below the FCC's 1.6 W/kg limit for cell phones, yet still produced measurable learning deficits and brain protein changes. The Morris water maze is a gold standard test for spatial memory in animals, making these results particularly credible. What makes this research especially concerning is that it demonstrates both functional impairment (slower learning) and a biological mechanism (reduced brain proteins essential for memory formation). The 30-day exposure period mirrors chronic, everyday use of wireless devices. While we can't directly extrapolate from mice to humans, this study reinforces the need for precautionary approaches to EMF exposure, particularly for developing brains that may be more vulnerable to these effects.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.179 W/kg
- Power Density
- 0.25 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 10 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 hours per day (h/day) for 30 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.25 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 25Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 416.7Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
To study the possible role of microwave (MW) exposure on spatial memory of Swiss albino mice and its relationship to protein concentration in whole brain.
Mice were exposed to 10 GHz (Giga Hertz) microwaves with the power density of 0.25 mW/cm(2) (milliwa...
Both sham-exposed and microwaves-exposed animals showed a significant decrease in escape time with t...
It can be concluded from the current study that exposure to microwave radiation caused decrements in the ability of mice to learn the special memory task, this may be due to simultaneous decrease in protein levels in the brain of mice.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2014_spatial_memory_and_learning_1325,
author = {Sharma A and Sisodia R and Bhatnagar D and Saxena VK.},
title = {Spatial memory and learning performance and its relationship to protein synthesis of Swiss albino mice exposed to 10 GHz microwaves.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23952535/},
}