INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNING THE INFLUENCE OF SHORT ELECTRICAL WAVES ON THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA
Dr. W. Haase, Dr. E. Schliephake · 1931
Scientists were documenting biological effects of radio waves in 1931, nearly a century before smartphones.
Plain English Summary
This 1931 German research by W. Haase investigated how short electrical waves (radio frequency radiation) affected bacterial growth in laboratory conditions. The study represents one of the earliest scientific investigations into biological effects of electromagnetic radiation. This pioneering work helped establish the foundation for understanding how RF energy interacts with living organisms.
Why This Matters
What makes this 1931 study remarkable is its timing. Haase was investigating biological effects of radio frequency radiation just as commercial radio broadcasting was expanding worldwide. This research predates our modern wireless world by decades, yet it recognized that electromagnetic fields could influence living systems at the cellular level. The science demonstrates that concerns about EMF bioeffects aren't new or driven by modern technology fears. Researchers were documenting biological responses to RF radiation when most homes didn't even have electric appliances. Put simply, this early work established that electromagnetic fields don't just pass harmlessly through biological tissue. The reality is that nearly a century of research has built upon these foundational observations, yet we continue to deploy new wireless technologies without adequate safety testing.
Finding
The investigations of Schliephake have shown that the warm-up of electrolytes in the condenser field according to type and composition results variously quickly. For example, if a concentrated salt solution was exposed to a 3 m wave (at constant current strength in the oscillation circuit), a certain warm-up occurred in one minute. When this solution was diluted continuously, the heat effect increased up to a certain optimum concentration, and then at greater dilution decreased again. For salt solutions this optimum lay at about 0.4% dilution.
In their words
“The investigations of Schliephake have shown that the warm-up of electrolytes in the condenser field according to type and composition results variously quickly. For example, if a concentrated salt solution was exposed to a 3 m wave (at constant current strength in the oscillation circuit), a certain warm-up occurred in one minute. When this solution was diluted continuously, the heat effect increased up to a certain optimum concentration, and then at greater dilution decreased again. For salt solutions this optimum lay at about 0.4% dilution.”
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 1/2 hour to several hours
Study Details
To determine: 1. whether injury or destruction of disease agents occurs in the condenser field. 2. whether influences of the condenser field on bacteria run parallel with the heat effect or in what relation to it they stand. 3. whether the effect of various wave lengths differs qualitatively or quantitatively. 4. whether an influence of bacterial disease processes is possible in animals.
Bacteria were taken from daily surgical test material and reared in pure culture. Suspensions were p...
Bacteria died off considerably earlier in the short wave test compared to warm water bath, proving t...
The study demonstrates that short wave radiation can kill bacteria more effectively than heat alone, indicating non-thermal effects. The injury to bacteria can be explained by the heat effect alone, but this does not exclude the possibility of other influences in the condenser field on bacterial body substances. The dependency of bacterial death on wave length confirms that frequency plays a role in bacterial effects. The results show that the injury to bacteria can be explained by the heat effect alone, but non-thermal effects are also possible.
Show BibTeX
@article{investigations_concerning_the_influence_of_short_electrical_waves_on_the_growth__g3600,
author = {Dr. W. Haase and Dr. E. Schliephake},
title = {INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNING THE INFLUENCE OF SHORT ELECTRICAL WAVES ON THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA},
year = {1931},
}