Micronucleus induction after whole-body microwave irradiation of rats.
Trosic I, Busljeta I, Kasuba V, Rozgaj R. · 2002
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at WiFi frequencies caused DNA damage in rats after just 8 days of 2-hour daily exposures.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 2450 MHz microwave radiation (WiFi frequency) for 2 hours daily over 30 days. DNA damage markers called micronuclei increased significantly in blood cells after just 8 days, suggesting prolonged wireless device exposure may harm genetic material.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that microwave radiation at 2450 MHz - the same frequency emitted by WiFi routers, microwave ovens, and many wireless devices - can cause measurable DNA damage in living tissue. The power density used (5-10 mW/cm²) is higher than typical WiFi exposure but within ranges that occur near some wireless devices. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates genetic damage occurring after relatively short exposure periods, with effects appearing after just 8 days. The researchers noted that the rats appeared to develop some adaptive response over time, but this shouldn't be reassuring - it suggests the body is mounting a defense against ongoing cellular stress. The science demonstrates that our cells recognize microwave radiation as harmful enough to trigger protective mechanisms, which tells us something important about the biological impact of our wireless world.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 5 – 10 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2450 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h a day, 7 days a week for up to 30 days
Exposure Context
This study used 5 – 10 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 500Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 8.3Mx 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 study the micronucleus induction after whole-body microwave irradiation of rats.
Adult male Wistar rats were exposed for 2 h a day, 7 days a week for up to 30 days to continuous 245...
The results for the time-course of PCEs indicated significant differences (P<0.05) for the 2nd, the ...
Show BibTeX
@article{i_2002_micronucleus_induction_after_wholebody_45,
author = {Trosic I and Busljeta I and Kasuba V and Rozgaj R.},
title = {Micronucleus induction after whole-body microwave irradiation of rats.},
year = {2002},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383571802002140},
}