Characteristics of microwave evoked body movements in mice.
Brown DO, Lu ST, Elson EC · 1994
View Original AbstractMice detected and responded to microwave radiation at levels causing less than 0.1°C heating, suggesting non-thermal biological detection mechanisms.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 1.25 GHz microwave radiation and found the animals made involuntary movements even when heating was minimal (less than 0.1°C). This shows biological systems can detect and respond to microwave energy below levels that cause measurable heating.
Why This Matters
This research reveals something important about how living organisms respond to microwave radiation. The mice in this study reacted to 1.25 GHz microwaves at power levels that barely raised their body temperature, yet still triggered involuntary movements. Put simply, their bodies were detecting and responding to the electromagnetic energy itself, not just its heating effects. The science demonstrates that biological systems have mechanisms for sensing microwave radiation that operate independently of thermal effects. While the exposure levels used (900-7300 W/kg SAR) are much higher than typical consumer devices, this study shows that organisms can detect microwave energy through non-thermal pathways. What this means for you is that the 'heating only' explanation for how EMFs affect biology may be incomplete. The reality is that living systems appear to have evolved sensitivity to electromagnetic fields that goes beyond simple temperature changes.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 900, 7300 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1.25 GHz
Exposure Context
This study used 900, 7300 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.3Kx 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
Microwave evoked body movements were studied in mice
A resonant cavity was used to provide head and neck exposure of the mouse to pulsed and gated contin...
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Results of the present study should be considered in promulgation of personnel protection guideline against high peak power but low average power microwaves.
Show BibTeX
@article{do_1994_characteristics_of_microwave_evoked_880,
author = {Brown DO and Lu ST and Elson EC},
title = {Characteristics of microwave evoked body movements in mice.},
year = {1994},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8024606/},
}