Increased sensitivity of the non-human primate eye to microwave radiation following ophthalmic drug pretreatment.
Kues HA, Monahan JC, D'Anna SA, McLeod DS, Lutty GA, Koslov S, · 1992
View Original AbstractEye drops increased microwave radiation sensitivity 10-fold in primates, lowering the damage threshold to levels common in everyday wireless environments.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed monkeys to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation after applying common eye drops. The medications dramatically increased eye damage sensitivity, lowering the injury threshold from 10 mW/cm² to just 1 mW/cm². People using certain eye medications may face higher risks from everyday microwave exposure.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning interaction between common medications and microwave radiation that has significant implications for millions of people using eye drops. The researchers found that standard ophthalmic drugs reduced the power threshold for eye damage by 90 percent, from 10 to 1 mW/cm². What makes this particularly relevant is that 1 mW/cm² falls within the range of everyday exposures from cell phones, WiFi routers, and other wireless devices. The study used 2.45 GHz radiation, the same frequency emitted by microwave ovens and many WiFi systems. The researchers noted that the damage occurred through non-thermal mechanisms, meaning it wasn't simply from heating tissue. This challenges the current regulatory approach that only considers thermal effects when setting safety standards. For the millions of Americans using glaucoma medications, blood pressure eye drops, or other ophthalmic treatments, this research suggests they may face heightened vulnerability to wireless radiation that regulators have deemed 'safe' for the general population.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.052, 0.26, 1.3, 2.6, and 3.9 W/kg
- Power Density
- 0.2, 1, 5, 10, or 15 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 4 h a day for 3 consecutive days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.2, 1, 5, 10, or 15 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 20Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 333.3Kx 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
In the study reported here we examined ocular damage in monkeys (M. mulatta and M. fascicularis) following topical treatment with one of two ophthalmic drugs (timolol maleate and pilocarpine) that preceded exposure to pulsed microwaves.
Anesthetized monkeys were sham exposed or exposed to pulsed, 2.45 GHz microwaves (10 microseconds, 1...
Following administration of a drug, we observed a significant reduction in the power-density thresho...
Our data indicate that pulsed microwaves at an average SAR of 0.26 W/kg, if administered after pretreatment with ophthalmic drugs, can produce significant ocular effects in the anesthetized primate.
Show BibTeX
@article{ha_1992_increased_sensitivity_of_the_1116,
author = {Kues HA and Monahan JC and D'Anna SA and McLeod DS and Lutty GA and Koslov S and},
title = {Increased sensitivity of the non-human primate eye to microwave radiation following ophthalmic drug pretreatment.},
year = {1992},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1445419/},
}