Calcium-binding proteins and GFAP immunoreactivity alterations in murine hippocampus after 1 month of exposure to 835MHz radiofrequency at SAR values of 1.6 and 4.0W/kg.
Maskey D, Kim HJ, Kim HG, Kim MJ · 2012
View Original AbstractOne month of cell phone radiation exposure caused measurable brain damage in mice at levels considered safe by current regulations.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to cell phone frequency radiation (835 MHz) for one month at power levels similar to heavy phone use. They found significant damage to brain cells in the hippocampus, including loss of protective calcium-binding proteins and signs of brain injury that worsened at higher exposure levels. This suggests that prolonged radiofrequency exposure may harm critical brain regions involved in memory and learning.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation at levels encountered during typical cell phone use can cause measurable brain damage. The SAR levels used (1.6 and 4.0 W/kg) bracket the current regulatory limit of 2.0 W/kg, meaning the lower exposure group represents what regulators consider 'safe' levels. Yet even at 1.6 W/kg, researchers observed clear signs of neuronal stress and death in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory formation. The dose-dependent response, where higher exposure caused more severe damage, strengthens the case for causation rather than coincidence. What makes this research particularly significant is its focus on calcium-binding proteins, which are essential for normal brain function. When these protective mechanisms fail, as shown in this study, it can lead to the kind of cellular dysfunction that underlies neurodegenerative diseases. The reality is that many people routinely expose themselves to similar or higher SAR levels through prolonged phone calls or carrying devices close to their bodies.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.6 , 4.0 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 835MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 month
Exposure Context
This study used 1.6 , 4.0 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 4x 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
To investigate calcium-binding proteins and GFAP immunoreactivity alterations in murine hippocampus after 1 month of exposure to 835 MHz radiofrequency at SAR values of 1.6 and 4.0 W/kg
Different SAR values [1.6 (E1.6 group) and 4.0 (E4 group) W/kg] were applied to determine the distri...
Compared with sham control group, decreased CB and CR IRs, loss of CB and CR immunoreactive cells an...
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2012_calciumbinding_proteins_and_gfap_1189,
author = {Maskey D and Kim HJ and Kim HG and Kim MJ},
title = {Calcium-binding proteins and GFAP immunoreactivity alterations in murine hippocampus after 1 month of exposure to 835MHz radiofrequency at SAR values of 1.6 and 4.0W/kg.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394011015473},
}