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Pathological effects of prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat kidney.

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Odacı E, Unal D, Mercantepe T, Topal Z, Hancı H, Türedi S, Erol H, Mungan S, Kaya H, Colakoğlu S. · 2014

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Prenatal cell phone radiation exposure caused kidney damage and oxidative stress in rat pups, suggesting pregnancy EMF exposure risks.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Turkish researchers exposed pregnant rats to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily during late pregnancy, then examined kidney tissue in the male offspring at three weeks old. The exposed pups showed significant kidney damage including tissue degeneration, cyst formation, and blood vessel loss, along with elevated oxidative stress markers. This suggests that prenatal cell phone radiation exposure may cause lasting kidney damage through oxidative stress mechanisms.

Why This Matters

This study adds to growing evidence that prenatal EMF exposure can cause developmental damage that persists after birth. The 900 MHz frequency used matches exactly what GSM cell phones emit, making these findings directly relevant to pregnant women using mobile devices. What's particularly concerning is that just one hour of daily exposure during a critical nine-day window of kidney development produced clear structural damage and oxidative stress in the offspring. The reality is that many pregnant women carry phones near their bodies for hours each day, potentially exposing developing organs to similar radiation levels. While we can't directly extrapolate animal studies to humans, the consistent pattern of prenatal EMF damage across multiple organ systems in research should give expectant mothers pause about their wireless device habits.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz Duration: 1 h/day, on days 13-21 of pregnancy

Study Details

We investigated the effects on kidney tissue of 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF applied during the prenatal period

Pregnant rats were exposed to 900 MHz EMF, 1 h/day, on days 13-21 of pregnancy; no procedure was per...

Light microscopy revealed some degenerative changes in the tubule epithelium, small cystic formation...

EMF applied during the prenatal period can caused pathological changes in kidney tissue in 21-day-old male rats owing to oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant enzyme levels

Cite This Study
Odacı E, Unal D, Mercantepe T, Topal Z, Hancı H, Türedi S, Erol H, Mungan S, Kaya H, Colakoğlu S. (2014). Pathological effects of prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat kidney. Biotech Histochem. 2014 Aug 27:1-9.
Show BibTeX
@article{e_2014_pathological_effects_of_prenatal_1680,
  author = {Odacı E and Unal D and Mercantepe T and Topal Z and Hancı H and Türedi S and Erol H and Mungan S and Kaya H and Colakoğlu S.},
  title = {Pathological effects of prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat kidney.},
  year = {2014},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25158858/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Turkish researchers exposed pregnant rats to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily during late pregnancy, then examined kidney tissue in the male offspring at three weeks old. The exposed pups showed significant kidney damage including tissue degeneration, cyst formation, and blood vessel loss, along with elevated oxidative stress markers. This suggests that prenatal cell phone radiation exposure may cause lasting kidney damage through oxidative stress mechanisms.