Effect of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation on permeability of unilamellar liposomes to 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein. Evidence of non-thermal leakage.
Saalman E, Norden B, Arvidsson L, Hamnerius Y, Hojevik P, Connell KE, Kurucsev T · 1991
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at WiFi frequencies disrupted cell membrane barriers beyond what heat alone could explain, suggesting non-thermal biological effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed artificial cell membranes (liposomes) to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation for 10 minutes and found they became significantly more permeable compared to membranes heated to the same temperature without microwaves. This suggests microwave radiation can disrupt cellular barriers through mechanisms beyond just heating, potentially allowing harmful substances to enter cells or beneficial ones to leak out.
Why This Matters
This 1991 study provides crucial evidence that microwave radiation affects biological membranes through non-thermal mechanisms. The researchers used the same frequency as modern WiFi routers and microwave ovens (2.45 GHz) and carefully controlled for temperature effects using fiber-optic monitoring. What makes this particularly significant is that the membrane disruption occurred even above the phase transition temperature, where thermal effects alone should dominate. The reality is that our cells are surrounded by similar phospholipid membranes, and if microwave radiation can make these barriers more permeable, it raises important questions about how wireless signals might affect cellular function. While this was a laboratory study using artificial membranes, it adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF bioeffects extend beyond simple tissue heating.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 2.45 GHz Duration: 10 min
Study Details
The influence of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation on the membrane permeability of unilamellar liposomes was studied using the marker 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein trapped in phosphatidylcholine liposomes.
The release of the fluorescent marker was followed by spectrofluorimetry after an exposure of 10 min...
A significant increase of the permeability of carboxyfluorescein through the membrane was observed f...
Show BibTeX
@article{e_1991_effect_of_245_ghz_2548,
author = {Saalman E and Norden B and Arvidsson L and Hamnerius Y and Hojevik P and Connell KE and Kurucsev T},
title = {Effect of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation on permeability of unilamellar liposomes to 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein. Evidence of non-thermal leakage.},
year = {1991},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2025632/},
}