INFORMATION PROFILE - RADIOFREQUENCY AND MICROWAVE RADIATION
Science Information Services Department · 1978
The profile states that in the United States radiofrequency and microwave radiation is considered a hazard only due to overheating of eyes, skin, and internal organs.
Plain English Summary
Rats exposed to pulsed radiofrequency or microwave frequencies for up to three hours a day over 0.5 to 6.0 months showed chemical and cellular blood changes, reduced cardiac, hepatic, and neural metabolism, hepatic histologic changes, and severe testicular damage. Mice exposed to 9 GHz for a few minutes a day for 59 weeks developed monocytic leukosis and myeloid leukemia three times as often as controls. Human studies included a Russian report that cardiovascular patients chronically exposed to microwave radiation did not improve after changing jobs, a Finnish study correlating a radar site with increased fatal heart attacks, and a study of 140 radio and television operators with at least 10 years exposure showing elevated alpha-globulin and total serum protein.
Why This Matters
Mutagenic effects included a synergistic effect of 37 GHz with chemical mutagens on Candida tropicalis, alteration of Drosophila germ cells by pulsed 5-40 MHz radiation, and mutation of Antirrhinum majus pollen by 200 MHz radiation. Chromosomal anomalies including fragmentation, translocation, and bridging were observed in guinea pig and rabbit cells pulsed with 2.95 GHz, and in Chinese hamster cells and bone marrow after pulsed 15, 19, 21, 25 MHz and non-pulsed 2.45 GHz. Clinical studies of 525 workers exposed to microwave radiation reported complaints of headache, tiredness, irritability, and sleepiness, with tests showing increased serum histamine, bradycardia, hypotension, desensitization to odors, hyperthyroid activity, exhaustion of the central nervous system, and disruption of the endocrine-humoral process. A study of 146 workers exposed to radiofrequency radiation reported headache, ECG changes, sleep upset, fatigue, neurological symptoms after over six years exposure, general weakness, balance disturbance, memory disturbance, and decreased sexual potency.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 10 mW/cm²
- Electric Field
- 200 V/m RMS
Exposure Context
This study used 10 mW/cm² for radio frequency:
- 1,000Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 16.7Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
This study used 200 V/m RMS for electric fields:
- 666.7x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
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
Show BibTeX
@article{information_profile_radiofrequency_and_microwave_radiation_g5172,
author = {Science Information Services Department},
title = {INFORMATION PROFILE - RADIOFREQUENCY AND MICROWAVE RADIATION},
year = {1978},
}