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Cellular Effects

Effect of microwave radiation on permeability of liposomes. Evidence against non-thermal leakage.

No Effects Found

Bergqvist B, Arvidsson L, Pettersson E, Galt S, Saalman E, Hamnerius Y, Norden B, · 1994

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Microwave radiation at 2.45 GHz caused no membrane damage beyond normal heating effects in this controlled laboratory study.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed artificial cell membranes (liposomes) to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation - the same frequency used in microwave ovens and WiFi - to see if the radiation could make cell membranes leak. They found that microwave exposure caused no additional membrane damage beyond what normal heating would cause, contradicting an earlier study that suggested microwaves had special non-thermal effects on cell membranes.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 2.45 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 2.45 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 2.45 GHz Duration: 5-20 min intervals

Study Details

The effect of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation on the permeability of unilamellar phosphatidylcholine liposomes has been studied.

Leakage of 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein from the liposomes was measured using spectrofluorimetry after ex...

The microwave exposure did not result in any non-thermal increase in permeability above that produce...

The refined analysis in the present study shows that this increased liposome permeability was not a non-thermal microwave effect.

Cite This Study
Bergqvist B, Arvidsson L, Pettersson E, Galt S, Saalman E, Hamnerius Y, Norden B, (1994). Effect of microwave radiation on permeability of liposomes. Evidence against non-thermal leakage. Biochim Biophys Acta 1201(1):51-54, 1994.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_1994_effect_of_microwave_radiation_2952,
  author = {Bergqvist B and Arvidsson L and Pettersson E and Galt S and Saalman E and Hamnerius Y and Norden B and},
  title = {Effect of microwave radiation on permeability of liposomes. Evidence against non-thermal leakage.},
  year = {1994},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7918582/},
}
PubMed: 7918582

Cited By (9 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

No, 2.45 GHz microwave radiation does not make cell membranes leak beyond normal heating effects. A 1994 study found that artificial cell membranes exposed to microwave oven frequency showed no additional damage compared to regular thermal heating, contradicting earlier claims of special non-thermal effects.
WiFi frequency radiation (2.45 GHz) does not damage artificial cell membranes called liposomes beyond normal heating. Swedish researchers found that microwave exposure at this frequency caused no special membrane leakage effects, only the same damage that regular heat would cause to cellular structures.
No, microwaves do not have non-thermal effects on artificial cells according to 1994 research. The study found that 2.45 GHz microwave radiation caused no membrane damage beyond what normal heating produces, refuting earlier claims that microwaves had special biological effects separate from heat.
Microwave oven frequency (2.45 GHz) is not harmful to cell membrane integrity beyond heating effects. Research using artificial cell membranes found that microwave exposure produced no additional membrane permeability compared to equivalent thermal heating, showing no special non-thermal cellular damage occurs.
When liposomes are exposed to 2.45 GHz radiation, they show no special damage beyond normal heating effects. The 1994 study found that these artificial cell membranes did not become more permeable from microwave exposure than they would from equivalent thermal heating alone.