BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION
Charles Susskind and Staff · 1958
Scientists were documenting microwave radiation's biological effects on living systems as early as 1958, decades before wireless devices became ubiquitous.
Plain English Summary
This 1958 technical report by Charles Susskind examined the biological effects of microwave radiation on laboratory animals, cellular organisms, and insects. The research represents one of the earliest systematic investigations into how microwave frequencies affect living systems. This foundational work helped establish the scientific framework for understanding microwave radiation's biological impacts.
Why This Matters
This 1958 report represents a pivotal moment in EMF research history. Charles Susskind's investigation into microwave biological effects came at the dawn of the microwave age, when radar technology was transitioning to civilian applications like microwave ovens and early telecommunications. The science demonstrates that concerns about microwave radiation's biological effects aren't new - researchers were documenting impacts on living systems more than six decades ago.
What makes this work particularly significant is its timing. This research preceded the wireless revolution by decades, yet scientists were already investigating how microwave frequencies interact with biological systems. The reality is that many of today's wireless devices operate in similar frequency ranges that Susskind was studying in 1958. Your smartphone, WiFi router, and microwave oven all emit radiation in frequency bands that early researchers flagged for biological investigation.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagram extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The principal objectives of this phase of the project were (1) the establishment of experimental procedures, and (2) studies of the effect of X-band microwave radiation on the survival, fertility, and longevity of albino mice, with particular emphasis placed on the investigation of the nature of the mechanisms involved in the effects observed.
Male and female albino mice weighing 30-40 g are used. The animal is placed in a sack made of low-lo...
It is found that the dose which kills 50 per cent of the animals, the LD50, corresponds to irradiati...
The results suggest that the basic mechanism producing the observed effect is essentially the same whether using whole-body irradiation or eye cataract experiments, and that either experiment constitutes a useful method of measuring the effect of microwave power. The lethal temperature for mice is 44°C, and the cooling mechanism of mice operates to re-establish an equilibrium at which the animal can be kept for an hour or more without observable effects, other than a slight temperature rise, below a certain power density of about 0.100 w/cm².
Show BibTeX
@article{biological_effects_of_microwave_radiation_g6775,
author = {Charles Susskind and Staff},
title = {BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION},
year = {1958},
}