Acute low-intensity microwave exposure increases DNA single-strand breaks in rat brain cells.
Lai H, Singh NP, · 1995
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at cell phone-level exposures caused measurable DNA breaks in rat brain cells within hours.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at levels similar to cell phone use and found that it caused DNA breaks in brain cells. The damage appeared 4 hours after exposure, even at relatively low power levels (0.6 W/kg). This suggests that microwave radiation can damage the genetic material in brain cells at exposure levels considered 'safe' by current standards.
Why This Matters
This landmark 1995 study by Lai and Singh was among the first to demonstrate that microwave radiation at relatively low levels can cause DNA damage in the brain. The exposure levels used (0.6 and 1.2 W/kg) are comparable to what your brain experiences during cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday EMF exposure. What makes this research particularly significant is that the DNA breaks appeared hours after exposure ended, suggesting the damage isn't just immediate thermal heating but represents a biological response that persists. The science demonstrates that even brief exposures can trigger measurable genetic damage in brain tissue. This study helped establish the foundation for understanding that EMF effects aren't limited to heating, challenging the industry's thermal-only safety standards that remain in place today.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.6 and 1.2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 2450 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h
Exposure Context
This study used 0.6 and 1.2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 1.5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 observe Acute low-intensity microwave exposure increases DNA single-strand breaks in rat brain cells.
Levels of DNA single-strand break were assayed in brain cells from rats acutely exposed to low-inten...
Immediately after 2 h of exposure to pulsed (2 microseconds width, 500 pulses/s) microwaves, no sign...
Furthermore, in rats exposed for 2 h to continuous-wave 2450 MHz microwaves (SAR 1.2 W/kg), increases in brain cell DNA single-strand breaks were observed immediately as well as at 4 h postexposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_1995_acute_lowintensity_microwave_exposure_759,
author = {Lai H and Singh NP and},
title = {Acute low-intensity microwave exposure increases DNA single-strand breaks in rat brain cells.},
year = {1995},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7677797/},
}