Induction of adaptive response in mice exposed to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields: Application of micronucleus assay
Jiang B, Zong C, Zhao H, Ji Y, Tong J, Cao Y · 2013
View Original AbstractRF exposure triggered protective cellular responses in mice, demonstrating that biological systems measurably respond to non-ionizing radiation in complex ways.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 900MHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for 4 hours daily over 7 days, then subjected them to high-dose gamma radiation. The mice pre-exposed to RF showed significantly less genetic damage from the gamma radiation compared to mice that received only gamma radiation. This suggests that low-level RF exposure may trigger protective cellular responses that help defend against more harmful radiation damage.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a fascinating biological phenomenon that challenges simplistic views of RF radiation effects. The science demonstrates that 900MHz RF exposure at 120 microwatts per square centimeter triggered what researchers call an 'adaptive response' in mice, essentially priming their cellular defenses against subsequent DNA damage. What this means for you is that biological responses to RF are complex and dose-dependent. The exposure level used here is relatively low, comparable to being several feet from a WiFi router. However, this protective effect occurred only in the context of subsequent high-dose ionizing radiation exposure. The reality is that this doesn't suggest RF exposure is beneficial in everyday scenarios, but rather highlights how our understanding of RF bioeffects continues to evolve. You don't have to view this as evidence that RF is harmless, but rather as confirmation that biological systems respond to RF in measurable ways that we're still working to understand.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.12 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 900MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 4h/day for 7 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.12 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 12Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 200Kx 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
The aim of this study is to investigate Induction of adaptive response in mice exposed to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields: Application of micronucleus assay
Adult male ICR mice were pre-exposed to non-ionizing radiofrequency fields (RF), 900MHz at 120μW/cm(...
The data obtained in mice exposed to AD+CD were compared with those exposed to CD alone. The results...
Thus, the data suggested that pre-exposure of mice to non-ionizing RF is capable of 'protecting' the erythrocytes in the blood and bone marrow from genotoxic effects of subsequent γ-radiation. Such protective phenomenon is generally described as 'adaptive response' (AR) and is well documented in human and animal cells which were pre-exposed to very low doses of ionizing radiation. It is interesting to observe AR being induced by non-ionizing RF.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2013_induction_of_adaptive_response_1049,
author = {Jiang B and Zong C and Zhao H and Ji Y and Tong J and Cao Y},
title = {Induction of adaptive response in mice exposed to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields: Application of micronucleus assay},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23295244/},
}