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Animal study on electromagnetic field biological potency.

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Trosic I, Matausicpisl M, Radalj Z, Prlic I, · 1999

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Microwave radiation at 2450 MHz significantly altered blood cell counts in rats, showing immune system effects at non-thermal exposure levels.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at 2450 MHz for two hours daily over 30 days. The exposed rats showed decreased white blood cells and increased red blood cells compared to controls, indicating the radiation affected their immune and blood systems.

Why This Matters

This 1999 Croatian study demonstrates that microwave radiation can alter blood cell populations in mammals at power densities of 5-15 mW/cm2, levels well below what causes heating effects. What makes this research particularly relevant is that 2450 MHz is the same frequency used by microwave ovens and many WiFi devices, though at much lower power levels than this study used. The observed decreases in lymphocytes and total white blood cells are concerning because these immune system cells are your body's first line of defense against infections and disease. The science demonstrates that EMF exposure can trigger measurable biological responses in blood chemistry, even when the radiation isn't strong enough to heat tissue. While this was an animal study with relatively high exposure levels, it adds to the growing body of evidence that microwave radiation affects cellular processes in ways that current safety standards don't adequately address.

Exposure Details

Power Density
5 to 15 µW/m²
Source/Device
2450 MHz
Exposure Duration
2 hours a day, 5 days a week

Exposure Context

This study used 5 to 15 µW/m² for radio frequency:

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: 5 to 15 µW/m²Extreme Concern - 1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit - 10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern rangeFCC limit is 2,000,000x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 2.45 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 2.45 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Animal study on electromagnetic field biological potency.

This recent basic research study used an animal model protocol to assess specific biomarkers of the ...

The results of peripheral blood cell response suggested a decreasing tendency in total leukocyte cou...

Cite This Study
Trosic I, Matausicpisl M, Radalj Z, Prlic I, (1999). Animal study on electromagnetic field biological potency. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 50(1):5-11, 1999.
Show BibTeX
@article{i_1999_animal_study_on_electromagnetic_1376,
  author = {Trosic I and Matausicpisl M and Radalj Z and Prlic I and},
  title = {Animal study on electromagnetic field biological potency.},
  year = {1999},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10457649/},
}
PubMed: 10457649

Cited By (19 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a 1999 study found that rats exposed to 2450 MHz microwave radiation for two hours daily over 30 days showed decreased white blood cells and increased red blood cells compared to unexposed controls, indicating the radiation affected their immune and blood systems.
Research shows that 30 days of daily 2-hour exposure to 2450 MHz microwave radiation can decrease white blood cell counts in rats. The study found a decreasing tendency in total leukocyte count and relative lymphocyte count after this exposure period.
Yes, a rat study using 2450 MHz radiation (the same frequency as microwave ovens) found a slight increase in red blood cell counts after 30 days of exposure. This suggests the radiation may stimulate red blood cell production in the bone marrow.
A 1999 animal study found that 30 days of 2450 MHz microwave radiation exposure caused a decreasing tendency in relative lymphocyte count in rats. Lymphocytes are important white blood cells that help fight infections and diseases in the immune system.
Yes, research found that rats exposed to 2450 MHz microwave radiation for 2 hours daily over 30 days showed a slight increase in granulocyte count. Granulocytes are white blood cells that help fight bacterial infections and inflammation.