Evaluation of Effects of the Microwave Oven (915 and 2450 MHz) and Radar (2810 and 3050 MHz) Electromagnetic Radiation on Noncompetitive Cardiac Pacemakers
Charles H. Bonney, Pedro L. Rustan, Jr., Gary E. Ford · 1973
Microwave oven frequencies can completely shut down cardiac pacemakers at field strengths as low as 75 V/m.
Plain English Summary
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 fields over 75 V/m and pulsed 2810 or 3050 MHz radar fields above 250 V/m, while no complete inhibition occurred at 2450 MHz. This 1973 research gave quantitative field-strength values for complete pacemaker inhibition, and reported 75 V/m as an acceptable nominally safe figure for all units tested at the four frequencies.
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. Modern microwave ovens operate at 2450 MHz, and in this study no episodes of complete pacemaker inhibition were observed at that frequency, although rate changes were observed.
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. The study found no consistent field-strength value that could be applied as absolutely safe for all pacemakers, and it regarded 75 V/m as the nominally safe figure for all units tested at each of the four frequencies and for all modes.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
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},
}