Annual Report of Microwave Radiation Research
W.A.D. Anderson, Billy S. Austin, Ernesto Bernal, Benjamin Brauzer, Theodore Burnstein, William B. Deichmann, Donna E. Finerty, Thelma Clark Gould, Samuel A. Gunn, M. Keplinger, John Ketchum, Kenneth F. Lampe, Karin Landeen, Willard Machle, George H. Paff, Robert Peters, Michael M. Sigel, Frank H. Stephens Jr., Robert B. Tallarico · 1959
1959 University of Miami research documented microwave radiation biological hazards, establishing early foundation for EMF safety studies.
Plain English Summary
This 1959 University of Miami research examined microwave radiation's biological effects on experimental animals, studying factors like environmental temperature, air circulation, and survival rates. The study represents early systematic investigation into microwave radiation hazards during the Cold War era when military radar systems were rapidly expanding. This foundational research helped establish protocols for studying electromagnetic field biological effects that continue influencing EMF safety research today.
Why This Matters
This 1959 University of Miami report represents a pivotal moment in EMF research history. Coming just over a decade after radar's widespread military deployment, scientists were beginning to recognize that microwave radiation might pose biological risks beyond simple heating effects. The study's focus on survival rates and environmental factors suggests researchers were documenting serious biological impacts that couldn't be explained by thermal mechanisms alone.
What makes this research particularly significant is its timing and scope. In 1959, microwave exposure was primarily occupational - radar operators, military personnel, and industrial workers. Today, we're all exposed to microwave radiation from WiFi, cell phones, and smart devices at levels that would have been unimaginable to these early researchers. The biological hazards they documented in controlled laboratory conditions are now part of our daily electromagnetic environment, yet regulatory agencies still rely on heating-based safety standards developed decades later.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 196 hours of interrupted exposure to ~7 mw/cm², 7.5 hours of continuous exposure to 20 mw/cm², 5 min. to 6 hrs. of continuous exposure to 20 mw/cm², 10 min. of continuous exposure to 20 mw/cm², 5 minutes for 5-6 hours
Study Details
To investigate the biological effects of microwave radiation exposure on experimental animals, particularly focusing on temperature changes, hemopoietic system effects, and behavioral responses.
Experiments were conducted using microwave radiation at 24,000 megacycles (24 GHz) with power output...
Exposure to microwave radiation at 250 mw/cm² for 5 minutes resulted in significant behavioral chang...
Environmental factors including air currents and temperature significantly influence the biological effects of microwave radiation. The study demonstrated that microwave exposure can cause measurable physiological and behavioral changes in experimental animals, with effects varying based on exposure duration, power density, and environmental conditions.
Show BibTeX
@article{annual_report_of_microwave_radiation_research_g7208,
author = {W.A.D. Anderson and Billy S. Austin and Ernesto Bernal and Benjamin Brauzer and Theodore Burnstein and William B. Deichmann and Donna E. Finerty and Thelma Clark Gould and Samuel A. Gunn and M. Keplinger and John Ketchum and Kenneth F. Lampe and Karin Landeen and Willard Machle and George H. Paff and Robert Peters and Michael M. Sigel and Frank H. Stephens Jr. and Robert B. Tallarico},
title = {Annual Report of Microwave Radiation Research},
year = {1959},
}