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Effects of exposure to electromagnetic field from 915 MHz radiofrequency identification system on circulating blood cells in the healthy adult rat.

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Kim HS, Park JS, Jin YB, Do Choi H, Kwon JH, Pack JK, Kim N, Ahn YH. · 2017

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RFID radiation at cell phone SAR limits significantly altered rat blood cell counts in just two weeks.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to 915 MHz radiofrequency radiation (used in RFID systems) for 8 hours daily over 2 weeks. They found measurable changes in blood cell counts - red blood cells increased while white blood cells decreased, demonstrating RF radiation can alter blood composition at moderate exposure levels.

Why This Matters

This study adds to growing evidence that radiofrequency radiation produces measurable biological effects at exposure levels well below current safety limits. The 2 W/kg exposure level used here is actually at the current SAR limit for cell phones, making these findings directly relevant to everyday device use. What's particularly noteworthy is that the researchers found statistically significant changes in multiple blood parameters after just two weeks of exposure. While the authors downplay the significance by noting the changes were within 'normal physiological ranges,' this misses a crucial point: the fact that RF exposure consistently altered blood cell production suggests the body is responding to this radiation as a stressor. The science demonstrates that our bodies don't simply ignore RF radiation - they react to it in measurable ways.

Exposure Details

SAR
2 W/kg
Source/Device
915 MHz
Exposure Duration
8 h per day, 5 days per week, for 2 weeks

Exposure Context

This study used 2 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: 2 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern rangeFCC limit is 1x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 915 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 915 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

We investigated whether exposure to the 915 MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) signal affected circulating blood cells in rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to RFID at a whole-body specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 8 h ...

The number of red blood cells (RBCs) and the values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and RBC indices were ...

Although the number of circulating blood cells was significantly altered by RFID exposure at a whole-body specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 2 weeks, these changes do not necessarily indicate that RFID exposure is harmful, as they were within the normal physiological response range

Cite This Study
Kim HS, Park JS, Jin YB, Do Choi H, Kwon JH, Pack JK, Kim N, Ahn YH. (2017). Effects of exposure to electromagnetic field from 915 MHz radiofrequency identification system on circulating blood cells in the healthy adult rat. Bioelectromagnetics. 2017 Nov 24. doi: 10.1002/bem.22093.
Show BibTeX
@article{hs_2017_effects_of_exposure_to_1101,
  author = {Kim HS and Park JS and Jin YB and Do Choi H and Kwon JH and Pack JK and Kim N and Ahn YH.},
  title = {Effects of exposure to electromagnetic field from 915 MHz radiofrequency identification system on circulating blood cells in the healthy adult rat.},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29171038/},
}
PubMed: 29171038

Cited By (10 papers)

View all 10 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, RFID radiation can alter blood cell counts. A 2017 study found that 915 MHz RFID exposure increased red blood cells while decreasing white blood cells in rats. However, these changes remained within normal physiological ranges, suggesting the effects may not be harmful.
915 MHz radiation appears to impact immune cells but not necessarily harmfully. Research showed decreased white blood cells (including lymphocytes) after two weeks of exposure, but T-cell counts and immune ratios remained unchanged, indicating limited immune system disruption.
RFID radiation doesn't appear to cause blood disorders based on current research. While a 2017 study found measurable changes in blood cell counts after exposure, all values stayed within normal ranges, suggesting no pathological blood conditions developed.
RFID systems produce measurable biological effects but unclear health risks. Studies show they can alter blood cell composition - increasing red blood cells while decreasing white blood cells - though changes remain within normal ranges and don't necessarily indicate harm.
Radiofrequency exposure can measurably change blood composition. Research on 915 MHz radiation found increased red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels, while white blood cells decreased. These changes occurred within two weeks but remained in normal physiological ranges.