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
Maskey D, Kim HJ, Kim HG, Kim MJ. · 2012
View Original AbstractOne month of cell phone-level radiation caused measurable brain damage in mice, with protective proteins declining and injury markers increasing.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to cell phone-level radiofrequency radiation (835 MHz) for one month at power levels similar to what phones emit during calls. They found significant damage to brain cells in the hippocampus, the brain region critical for memory and learning, including loss of protective proteins and signs of brain injury that worsened at higher exposure levels.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation at levels comparable to cell phone use can cause measurable brain damage within just one month of exposure. The 1.6 W/kg exposure level falls within the range of typical cell phone SAR values (which legally can reach up to 2.0 W/kg), making these findings directly relevant to everyday phone use. The researchers documented both the loss of calcium-binding proteins that protect neurons and increased markers of brain injury, with damage escalating at higher power levels. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates biological harm at exposure levels the wireless industry and regulators claim are safe. The hippocampus damage observed here could have implications for memory, learning, and cognitive function. While this is an animal study, the biological mechanisms involved are fundamental to mammalian brain function, suggesting similar risks may exist for humans.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.6 and 4.0 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 835MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 month
Exposure Context
This study used 1.6 and 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 examine 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 distr...
E4 group showed a prominent decrement in CB and CR IR than the E1.6 group due to down-regulation of ...
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2012_calciumbinding_proteins_and_gfap_139,
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 835 MHz radiofrequency at SAR values of 1.6 and 4.0 W/kg},
year = {2012},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394011015473},
}