CELLULAR AND LONGEVITY EFFECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION
Charles Süsskind and Staff · 1959
1959 report found mice died at microwave power densities of 0.047 and 0.063 W/cm² but not at 0.016, with survivors reaching a heating-cooling equilibrium.
Plain English Summary
This 1959 technical report by Charles Susskind and staff examined the thermal response of mice to microwave radiation, with further sections on longevity tests and on experiments with cellular organisms. Mice were exposed to power densities ranging between 0.016 and 0.102 W/cm² for periods from 20 minutes to 6 hours at a time. There were no deaths at 0.016 W/cm², 2 out of 5 deaths at 0.047 W/cm², and 5 out of 8 deaths at 0.063 W/cm².
Why This Matters
This 1959 report represents a piece of early EMF research that predates our modern wireless world by decades. The Susskind group's work with mice examined body temperature during long exposures to low microwave power densities. The measurements concern heating: all deaths occurred after at least 1 hour of exposure, and death could not be correlated with the length of irradiation. Animals that survived appear to have reached a heating-cooling equilibrium, whereas in those that died heating exceeded cooling.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Study Details
The emphasis of the work done with animals during the past year of the project was on the further study and refinement of knowledge concerning the thermal response of mice to microwave radiation.
Male and female albino mice weighing 50-40 g are used. The animal is placed in a sack made of low-lo...
Series of irradiations were made to determine the effect upon body temperature of long exposures to ...
The fact that a lethal effect of microwave radiation cannot be demonstrated, neither by these experiments nor by the investigations described in the Annual Scientific Report for 1957-58, is evidently caused by this effect. By exposing dried cells to microwave radiation with simultaneous cooling by air this obstacle in experimental procedure can be overcome.
Show BibTeX
@article{cellular_and_longevity_effects_of_microwave_radiation_g6784,
author = {Charles Süsskind and Staff},
title = {CELLULAR AND LONGEVITY EFFECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION},
year = {1959},
}