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Acute Neuroinflammation Promotes Cell Responses to 1800 MHz GSM Electromagnetic Fields in the Rat Cerebral Cortex.

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Lameth J, Gervais A, Colin C, Lévêque P, Jay TM, Edeline JM, Mallat M. · 2017

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Cell phone radiation can disrupt the brain's inflammatory response by 50-60%, potentially interfering with natural healing processes during illness or injury.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Scientists exposed rats to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 2 hours and found it reduced brain inflammation markers by 50-60% when the brain was already inflamed. The changes were temporary, lasting less than 72 hours, suggesting radiation may alter how inflamed brain tissue responds.

Why This Matters

This study reveals something significant: cell phone radiation doesn't just affect healthy brain tissue, it can alter how your brain responds when it's already stressed or inflamed. The researchers used a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 2.9 W/kg, which is higher than current phone limits but within range of older devices or phones used very close to the head. What makes this particularly concerning is that neuroinflammation occurs in many conditions including infections, injuries, and neurodegenerative diseases. The science demonstrates that RF radiation can interfere with your brain's natural inflammatory response mechanisms, potentially affecting how well your brain can protect and repair itself during times of stress. While the effects were temporary in this study, the reality is that most of us are exposed to cell phone radiation multiple times daily, creating repeated opportunities for such interference.

Exposure Details

SAR
2.9 W/kg
Source/Device
GSM-1800 MHz
Exposure Duration
2 hours

Exposure Context

This study used 2.9 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 ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 2.9 W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 1x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

we investigated whether a 2-h head-only exposure to GSM-1800 MHz could impact on a neuroinflammatory reaction triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in 2-week-old or adult rats.

We focused on the cerebral cortex in which the specific absorption rate (SAR) of RF averaged 2.9 W/k...

In developing rats, 24 h after GSM exposure, the levels of cortical interleukin-1ß (IL1ß) or NOX2 NA...

Together, our data provide evidence that GSM-1800 MHz can modulate CNS cell responses triggered by an acute neuroinflammatory state.

Cite This Study
Lameth J, Gervais A, Colin C, Lévêque P, Jay TM, Edeline JM, Mallat M. (2017). Acute Neuroinflammation Promotes Cell Responses to 1800 MHz GSM Electromagnetic Fields in the Rat Cerebral Cortex. Neurotox Res. 2017 Jun 3. doi: 10.1007/s12640-017-9756-3.
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2017_acute_neuroinflammation_promotes_cell_1138,
  author = {Lameth J and Gervais A and Colin C and Lévêque P and Jay TM and Edeline JM and Mallat M.},
  title = {Acute Neuroinflammation Promotes Cell Responses to 1800 MHz GSM Electromagnetic Fields in the Rat Cerebral Cortex.},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28578480/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Scientists exposed rats to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 2 hours and found it reduced brain inflammation markers by 50-60% when the brain was already inflamed. The changes were temporary, lasting less than 72 hours, suggesting radiation may alter how inflamed brain tissue responds.