Results of a long-term low-level microwave exposure of rats.
Adang D, Remacle C, Vorst AV. · 2009
View Original AbstractRats exposed to cell phone-frequency microwaves for 21 months showed compromised immune systems and nearly double the mortality rate of unexposed rats.
Plain English Summary
Belgian researchers exposed rats to 970-MHz microwave radiation (similar to cell phone frequencies) for 2 hours daily over 21 months and measured changes in blood cells and mortality. They found significant increases in white blood cells and changes in immune cell types, plus a striking finding: exposed rats had nearly twice the mortality rate of unexposed rats by the end of the study. This suggests that chronic low-level microwave exposure may compromise immune function and overall health over time.
Why This Matters
This long-term study provides compelling evidence that chronic microwave exposure at frequencies used by wireless devices can have serious biological consequences. The 970-MHz frequency is within the range of modern cell phones and wireless networks, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure scenarios. What makes this research particularly significant is the duration - 21 months represents a substantial portion of a rat's lifespan, allowing researchers to observe effects that shorter studies might miss. The nearly doubled mortality rate in exposed animals is especially concerning, as it suggests that the immune system changes observed throughout the study may have contributed to reduced survival. While we can't directly extrapolate animal studies to humans, this research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that our assumption of wireless safety may be premature, particularly for chronic, everyday exposures.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 970-MHz Duration: 2 h a day, seven days a week
Study Details
This paper summarizes the results of experimental research on biological effects induced by electromagnetic exposure to low-level microwaves
We exposed four-month-old Wistar albino rats during 21 months to two different microwave frequencies...
After three and eight months of exposure, we found a statistically significant difference of about 2...
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2009_results_of_a_longterm_1804,
author = {Adang D and Remacle C and Vorst AV.},
title = {Results of a long-term low-level microwave exposure of rats.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224587203_Results_of_a_Long-Term_Low-Level_Microwave_Exposure_of_Rats},
}