Effects of a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on oxidative stress parameters in rat lymphoid organs, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and plasma.
Aydin B, Akar A. · 2011
View Original AbstractYoung immune systems suffered severe, largely irreversible damage from cell phone-level radiation exposure that closely mirrors everyday EMF levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation (900-MHz) for 2 hours daily over 45 days. They found significant cellular damage in immune organs like the spleen and bone marrow, with young rats experiencing more severe harm than adults, suggesting developing immune systems face greater vulnerability.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to growing concerns about EMF effects on developing immune systems. The 900-MHz frequency and exposure levels (28.2 V/m electric field) closely match those from cell phones and cell towers, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure scenarios. What's particularly concerning is that the oxidative damage to immune organs was largely irreversible, especially in young animals, even after a 15-day recovery period. This research reinforces the scientific case for greater protection of children from EMF exposure. The immune system is our body's defense against disease, and these findings suggest that chronic EMF exposure during development could compromise this critical system for life. While we can't directly extrapolate from rats to humans, the biological mechanisms of oxidative stress are remarkably similar across species, making this a credible warning signal that deserves serious attention from parents, schools, and policymakers.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 28.2 ± 2.1 V/m
- Source/Device
- 900-MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/day for 45 days
Exposure Context
This study used 28.2 ± 2.1 V/m for electric fields:
- 7x 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
The present study investigated the effects of a 900-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) for 2 h/day for 45 days on lymphoid organs (spleen, thymus, bone marrow), polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and plasma of rats, focusing on changes in the enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant system. We determined whether there is any difference between immature and mature rats in terms of oxidative damage caused by EMF and tested recovery groups to determine whether EMF-induced damage is reversible in immature and mature rats.
Twenty four immature and 24 mature rats were divided randomly and equally into six groups as follows...
Substantial, deleterious biochemical changes were observed in oxidative stress metabolism after EMF ...
In the present study, much higher levels of irreversible oxidative damage were observed in the major lymphoid organs of immature rats than in mature rats.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2011_effects_of_a_900mhz_831,
author = {Aydin B and Akar A.},
title = {Effects of a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on oxidative stress parameters in rat lymphoid organs, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and plasma.},
year = {2011},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0188440911001196},
}