8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Whole Body / General

Evaluation of Effects of the Microwave Oven (915 and 2450 MHz) and Radar (2810 and 3050 MHz) Electromagnetic Radiation on Noncompetitive Cardiac Pacemakers

Bioeffects Seen

Charles H. Bonney, Pedro L. Rustan, Jr., Gary E. Ford · 1973

Share:

Microwave oven frequencies can completely shut down cardiac pacemakers at field strengths as low as 75 V/m.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers implanted cardiac pacemakers in dogs and exposed them to microwave oven frequencies (915 and 2450 MHz) and radar frequencies (2810 and 3050 MHz). The study found that specific field strengths could completely shut down pacemakers, with 915 MHz requiring only 75 V/m while higher frequencies needed 250 V/m. This 1973 research established the first quantitative safety thresholds for pacemaker interference from common electromagnetic sources.

Why This Matters

This pioneering 1973 study reveals a critical vulnerability that remains relevant today. The research demonstrated that microwave oven frequencies at relatively modest field strengths (75 V/m at 915 MHz) could completely disable cardiac pacemakers in test animals. What makes this particularly concerning is that modern microwave ovens operate at 2450 MHz, and this study showed pacemaker interference at that exact frequency when pulsed at specific rates.

The 'window effect' described by researchers suggests that pacemaker interference isn't simply a matter of signal strength, but involves complex interactions between frequency, modulation, and field intensity. While pacemaker shielding has improved since 1973, the fundamental physics haven't changed. The study's findings help explain why medical device manufacturers still warn pacemaker patients to maintain distance from microwave ovens and why airport security systems can trigger medical device alerts.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Charles H. Bonney, Pedro L. Rustan, Jr., Gary E. Ford (1973). Evaluation of Effects of the Microwave Oven (915 and 2450 MHz) and Radar (2810 and 3050 MHz) Electromagnetic Radiation on Noncompetitive Cardiac Pacemakers.
Show BibTeX
@article{evaluation_of_effects_of_the_microwave_oven_915_and_2450_mhz_and_radar_2810_and__g5858,
  author = {Charles H. Bonney and Pedro L. Rustan and Jr. and Gary E. Ford},
  title = {Evaluation of Effects of the Microwave Oven (915 and 2450 MHz) and Radar (2810 and 3050 MHz) Electromagnetic Radiation on Noncompetitive Cardiac Pacemakers},
  year = {1973},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, this study found that 915 MHz frequency (used in some microwave ovens) could completely inhibit pacemakers at field strengths over 75 V/m, both in continuous and pulsed modes at 120 Hz modulation.
The research showed that 2450 MHz (standard microwave oven frequency) required field strengths greater than 250 V/m to cause complete pacemaker inhibition, but only when pulsed at 60-140 pulses per second.
Yes, radar frequencies at 2810 and 3050 MHz required higher field strengths (over 250 V/m) and specific pulse rates (60-140 pps) to cause pacemaker interference, compared to lower microwave frequencies.
Researchers found a narrow zone of pacemaker inhibition during some exposures, meaning interference occurred only within specific combinations of frequency, field strength, and pulse rate, not across all exposure levels.
Researchers surgically created atrioventricular blocks in canines to simulate the heart conditions of human pacemaker patients, allowing controlled testing of electromagnetic interference effects on implanted devices under realistic medical conditions.