Microwave exposure alters the expression of 2-5A-dependent RNase.
Krause D, Mullins JM, Penafiel LM, Meister R, Nardone RM, · 1991
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation activated cellular stress enzymes in healthy cells, suggesting biological effects occur even when cells appear unharmed.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mouse cells to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation (the same frequency used in microwave ovens) at levels 20 times higher than safety limits for 4 hours. The radiation significantly increased the activity of RNase L, an enzyme involved in the body's antiviral defense system. This suggests that microwave radiation can trigger cellular stress responses even when cells appear healthy and continue growing normally.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something important about how microwave radiation affects cells at the molecular level. The researchers found that exposure activated RNase L, an enzyme that's part of your immune system's response to viral infections and cellular stress. What makes this particularly significant is that the cells looked perfectly healthy by conventional measures - they survived, reproduced, and functioned normally. Yet at the biochemical level, they were clearly responding to the radiation as a stressor. The exposure level was 130 mW/g, which is indeed much higher than what you'd encounter from a cell phone (typically 0.5-2 mW/g). However, the finding that microwave radiation can trigger immune system enzymes at any level suggests our cells recognize this energy as something requiring a biological response. This adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF effects extend far beyond simple tissue heating.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 130 W/kg
- Power Density
- 95 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45-GHz
Exposure Context
This study used 95 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 9,500Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 158.3Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
This study used 130 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 325x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 effects of 2.45-GHz continuous-wave microwaves (SAR = 130 mW/g) on the expression of the interferon-regulated enzymes 2'-5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetase(s) and 2-5A-dependent endoribonuclease (RNase L) were studied in murine L929 cells.
Cells growing as monolayers were removed from the substratum and placed in suspension culture for a ...
Binding of radioactive 2-5A to RNase L for sham- and microwave-exposed samples was 14.5 and 36.4% ab...
Show BibTeX
@article{d_1991_microwave_exposure_alters_the_1112,
author = {Krause D and Mullins JM and Penafiel LM and Meister R and Nardone RM and},
title = {Microwave exposure alters the expression of 2-5A-dependent RNase.},
year = {1991},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1947000/},
}