Microwave radiation can alter protein conformation without bulk heating.
de Pomerai DI, Smith B, Dawe A, North K, Smith T, Archer DB, Duce IR, Jones D, Candido EP. · 2003
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation altered protein structure at low power levels without heating, challenging the heating-only safety assumption.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed proteins to microwave radiation at very low power levels (15-20 milliwatts per kilogram) and found the radiation could change the proteins' shape and cause them to clump together, even without any measurable heating. The study showed that microwaves can directly alter protein structure through non-thermal mechanisms, which could explain why living cells sometimes respond to microwave exposure as if they're experiencing heat stress.
Why This Matters
This research challenges the fundamental assumption that underlies current safety standards: that EMF exposure only causes harm through heating tissue. The science demonstrates that microwave radiation can alter protein structure at power levels far below what's needed to warm tissue. What makes this particularly significant is that the exposure levels used (15-20 milliwatts per kilogram) are well within the range of everyday wireless device exposure. Put simply, your proteins don't need to get hot to change shape when exposed to microwaves. The reality is that proteins are the workhorses of every cell in your body, and when their structure changes, their function can change too. This study provides a plausible biological mechanism for why people might experience health effects from EMF exposure even when no heating occurs.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.015, 0.02 W/kg
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Microwave radiation can alter protein conformation without bulk heating
Exposure to microwave radiation enhances the aggregation of bovine serum albumin in vitro in a time-...
Show BibTeX
@article{di_2003_microwave_radiation_can_alter_930,
author = {de Pomerai DI and Smith B and Dawe A and North K and Smith T and Archer DB and Duce IR and Jones D and Candido EP.},
title = {Microwave radiation can alter protein conformation without bulk heating.},
year = {2003},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12753912/},
}