Cataracts and Ultra-High-Frequency Radiation
David G. Cogan, Stephen J. Fricker, Martin Lubin, David D. Donaldson, Harriet Hardy · 1958
Early research identified microwave radiation as a cause of cataracts, highlighting ongoing eye vulnerability to everyday wireless frequencies.
Plain English Summary
This 1958 research by Cogan investigated the relationship between ultra-high-frequency (microwave) radiation and cataract formation in laboratory animals. The study examined whether microwave radiation exposure could cause eye damage, specifically the clouding of the lens that characterizes cataracts. This represents early scientific recognition that microwave radiation could affect sensitive tissues like the eyes.
Why This Matters
This 1958 study represents pioneering research into microwave radiation's effects on the eyes, published just as radar technology was becoming widespread. The science demonstrates that our eyes are particularly vulnerable to microwave radiation because the lens lacks blood vessels to carry away heat, making it susceptible to thermal damage. What this means for you is significant: the microwave frequencies studied in 1958 are similar to those used in today's WiFi routers, cell phones, and microwave ovens. While modern devices operate at much lower power levels than early radar systems, the reality is that we now live with constant, chronic exposure to these same frequencies. The evidence shows that eye tissues remain among the most sensitive to microwave radiation, which is why safety standards specifically address thermal effects in the eyes and why microwave ovens require protective shielding.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 20 minutes for 10 exposures
Study Details
To determine whether or not cataracts might result from exposure of the whole body to radiation at frequencies similar to those used in some high-power installations
Adult male, albino rabbits were used exclusively. The number of rabbits used for each exposure, the ...
Examination of the eyes showed nothing which could be called a cataract. Punctate opacities were occ...
Our finding that ultra-high-frequency radiation at an intensity of 60 mw/cm² is not cataractogenic is consistent with previous investigators applying local microwave irradiation to the eyes of rabbits who have reported the threshold dose for cataracts to be in the range of 120-220 mw/cm². However, one might expect that the cataractogenic dose would be higher with ultra-high-frequency radiation than with microwave radiation, which gives rise to heating in the region of the lens. Until evidence is presented to the contrary, our results with rabbits probably provide an assessment of the cataractogenic possibilities in human beings.
Show BibTeX
@article{cataracts_and_ultra_high_frequency_radiation_g5894,
author = {David G. Cogan and Stephen J. Fricker and Martin Lubin and David D. Donaldson and Harriet Hardy},
title = {Cataracts and Ultra-High-Frequency Radiation},
year = {1958},
}