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The effects of whole body cell phone exposure on the t1 relaxation times and trace elements in the serum of rats.

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Aksen F, Dasdag S, Akdag MZ, Askin M, Dasdag MM. · 2004

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Cell phone radiation altered essential mineral levels in rats after just one month of daily exposure at typical usage levels.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation for 20 minutes daily over a month to see if it affected essential minerals in their blood. They found that manganese and zinc levels changed significantly in exposed rats, while iron and copper remained normal. This suggests that cell phone radiation may disrupt how the body processes certain trace elements that are crucial for proper cellular function.

Why This Matters

This study adds to growing evidence that RF radiation affects biological processes beyond just heating tissue. The fact that exposure altered manganese and zinc levels is significant because these trace elements play critical roles in enzyme function, immune response, and cellular metabolism. The exposure levels used (SAR of 0.52-3.13 W/kg) are within the range of typical cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is that it demonstrates measurable biochemical changes from relatively short daily exposures over just one month. The selective effect on manganese and zinc, while leaving iron and copper unchanged, suggests specific biological pathways are being disrupted rather than general toxicity.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.52 and 3.13 W/kg
Exposure Duration
20 min per day, 7 days a week, for 1 month

Exposure Context

This study used 0.52 and 3.13 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

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 Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.52 and 3.13 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern rangeFCC limit is 3x higher than this level

Study Details

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of radiofrequency radiation emitted from cellular phones on: (1) trace elements such as manganese, iron, copper, zinc, (2) T1 relaxation times in serum, and (3) rectal temperature of rats exposed to microwave radiation emitted from cellular phones.

Sixteen Spraque–Dawley rats were separated into two groups of eight, one sham-exposed (control) and ...

T1 relaxation time and the values of iron and copper in the serum of the experimental group were not...

Cite This Study
Aksen F, Dasdag S, Akdag MZ, Askin M, Dasdag MM. (2004). The effects of whole body cell phone exposure on the t1 relaxation times and trace elements in the serum of rats. Electromag Biol Med. 23:7-11, 2004.
Show BibTeX
@article{f_2004_the_effects_of_whole_804,
  author = {Aksen F and Dasdag S and Akdag MZ and Askin M and Dasdag MM.},
  title = {The effects of whole body cell phone exposure on the t1 relaxation times and trace elements in the serum of rats.},
  year = {2004},
  doi = {10.1081/JBC-120037862},
  url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/JBC-120037862},
}
DOI: 10.1081/JBC-120037862

Cited By (9 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Research shows cell phone radiation can disrupt certain mineral levels in blood. A 2004 study found that rats exposed to cell phone radiation for 20 minutes daily had significantly altered manganese and zinc levels, while iron and copper remained normal.
Yes, cell phone radiation appears to affect zinc levels in the body. Researchers found that rats exposed to daily cell phone radiation for one month showed significantly different zinc concentrations compared to unexposed animals in laboratory testing.
Cell phone radiation may disrupt how your body processes certain trace elements. Studies show exposure can significantly alter manganese and zinc levels, which are essential minerals for proper cellular function, though effects on other minerals vary.
Cell phone exposure appears to significantly alter manganese levels in the body. Laboratory research found that rats exposed to cell phone radiation daily for one month showed measurable changes in blood manganese concentrations compared to control groups.
Cell phone radiation can cause measurable cellular effects, particularly on mineral processing. Research demonstrates that exposure disrupts how cells handle essential trace elements like manganese and zinc, which are crucial for normal cellular function and metabolism.