The relationship between NMDA receptors and microwave induced learning and memory impairment: a long term observation on Wistar rats.
Wang H, Peng R, Zhao L, Wang S, Gao Y, Wang L, Zuo H, Dong J, Xu X, Zhou H, Su Z. · 2014
View Original AbstractMicrowave exposure caused lasting memory problems in rats for 18 months, suggesting wireless radiation may have permanent cognitive effects.
Plain English Summary
Chinese researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at levels similar to some wireless devices and tracked their brain function for 18 months. The exposed rats showed persistent problems with spatial learning and memory, along with damage to brain structures and disrupted brain chemistry. This suggests that microwave exposure can cause lasting cognitive impairment through multiple biological mechanisms.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence for long-term cognitive effects from microwave exposure at power levels within the range of everyday wireless devices. The 50 mW/cm² exposure level, while higher than typical cell phone use, falls within ranges that people can encounter from WiFi routers, radar systems, or when holding devices close to the head during calls. What makes this research particularly significant is its 18-month follow-up period, demonstrating that cognitive deficits don't recover over time but persist long after exposure ends. The researchers identified specific biological mechanisms behind the memory problems, including disrupted neurotransmitter balance and damaged brain cell connections in the hippocampus, the brain's memory center. This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that microwave radiation can cause measurable neurological changes, contradicting industry claims that non-thermal exposures are harmless.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 50 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.856 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 6 min
Exposure Context
This study used 50 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 5,000Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 83.3Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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
To investigate whether high power microwave could cause continuous disorders to learning and memory in Wistar rats and to explore the underlying mechanisms.
Eighty Wistar rats were exposed to a 2.856 GHz pulsed microwave source at a power density of 0 mW/cm...
Our results showed that the microwave-exposed rats showed consistent deficiencies in spatial learnin...
This study indicated that the content of amino acids neurotransmitters, the expression of NMDAR subunits and the variation of hippocampal structure might contribute to the long-term cognitive impairment after microwave exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_2014_the_relationship_between_nmda_1421,
author = {Wang H and Peng R and Zhao L and Wang S and Gao Y and Wang L and Zuo H and Dong J and Xu X and Zhou H and Su Z.},
title = {The relationship between NMDA receptors and microwave induced learning and memory impairment: a long term observation on Wistar rats.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25426698/},
}