Interaction of microwaves and a temporally incoherent magnetic field on single and double DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells
Lai H, Singh NP · 2005
View Original AbstractWeak magnetic fields can completely block DNA damage from cell phone-level microwave radiation in brain cells.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at cell phone frequencies (2450 MHz) for 2 hours and found significant DNA damage in brain cells. However, when they simultaneously exposed the rats to a weak magnetic field with random fluctuations, it completely blocked the DNA damage from occurring. This suggests that certain types of magnetic field exposure might actually protect against microwave-induced genetic damage.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a fascinating protective effect that challenges our understanding of EMF interactions with biological systems. The microwave exposure level (0.6 W/kg SAR) is within the range of modern cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure scenarios. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates how different types of electromagnetic fields can interact in unexpected ways - in this case, a weak magnetic field actually prevented DNA damage that would otherwise occur from microwave radiation. The science demonstrates that EMF bioeffects aren't simply additive; the biological response depends on the specific characteristics and timing of multiple exposures. This research adds another layer of complexity to our understanding of how wireless radiation affects our cells, suggesting that the electromagnetic environment as a whole matters, not just individual sources.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.0045 mG
- SAR
- 0.6 W/kg
- Power Density
- 1 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2450-MHz microwaves and noise magnetic fields
- Exposure Duration
- 2h
Exposure Context
This study used 1 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 100Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 1.7Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
This study used 0.0045 mG for magnetic fields:
- 225x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 45x above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
This study used 0.6 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 effect of a temporally incoherent magnetic field noise on microwave-induced DNA single and double strand breaks in rat brain cells was investigated.
Four treatment groups of rats were studied: microwave-exposure (continuous-wave 2450-MHz microwaves,...
Results show that brain cells of microwave-exposed rats had significantly higher levels of DNA singl...
These data indicate that simultaneous exposure to a temporally incoherent magnetic field could block microwave-induced DNA damage in brain cells of the rat.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_2005_interaction_of_microwaves_and_36,
author = {Lai H and Singh NP},
title = {Interaction of microwaves and a temporally incoherent magnetic field on single and double DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1081/JBC-200055046},
url = {http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1081/JBC-200055046},
}