Microwaves and cellular immunity. I. Effect of whole body microwave irradiation on tumor necrosis factor production in mouse cells.
Fesenko EE, Makar VR, Novoselova EG, Sadovnikov VB. · 1999
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at 1,000 times lower power than cell phones still significantly altered immune function in mice.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to extremely low-level microwave radiation (8.15-18 GHz at just 1 microW/cm²) and found it significantly boosted production of TNF (tumor necrosis factor), a key immune system protein. Short-term exposure for 5 hours to 3 days enhanced immune cell activity, but chronic exposure for 7 days actually suppressed it. This demonstrates that even ultra-weak microwave radiation can measurably alter immune system function in living organisms.
Why This Matters
This 1999 Russian study reveals something remarkable: microwave radiation at power levels 1,000 times lower than what your cell phone produces can still trigger measurable immune system changes. At just 1 microW/cm², this exposure level is far below what most researchers considered biologically active at the time. The finding that microwaves increased TNF production more effectively than lipopolysaccharide - one of the most potent immune stimulants known - should have sent shockwaves through the research community. What this means for you is that the 'safe' exposure levels promoted by regulatory agencies may be missing critical biological effects. The dose-response relationship here is particularly concerning: short exposures stimulated immunity while chronic exposure suppressed it, suggesting our immune systems don't simply adapt to constant EMF exposure.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.001 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 8.15-18 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 5 h to 3 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.001 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 100Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 1.7Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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
The aim of this study is to investigate Microwaves and cellular immunity, Effect of whole body microwave irradiation on tumor necrosis factor production in mouse cells.
Whole body microwave sinusoidal irradiation of male NMRI mice with 8.15-18 GHz (1 Hz within) at a po...
Show BibTeX
@article{ee_1999_microwaves_and_cellular_immunity_1064,
author = {Fesenko EE and Makar VR and Novoselova EG and Sadovnikov VB.},
title = {Microwaves and cellular immunity. I. Effect of whole body microwave irradiation on tumor necrosis factor production in mouse cells.},
year = {1999},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10619445/},
}