Reduced exposure to microwave radiation by rats: frequency specific effects.
D'Andrea JA, DeWitt JR, Portuguez LM, Gandhi OP. · 1988
View Original AbstractRats instinctively avoided microwave radiation at levels comparable to cell phone limits, suggesting biological detection of harmful effects.
Plain English Summary
Rats given the choice consistently moved away from microwave radiation when it was turned on. They avoided certain frequencies more strongly than others, demonstrating that animals can sense and actively avoid microwave exposure at levels as low as 2.1-2.8 watts per kilogram.
Why This Matters
This research provides compelling evidence that microwave radiation produces detectable biological effects that animals instinctively avoid. The fact that rats could sense and behaviorally respond to radiation at SAR levels as low as 2.1 W/kg is significant because current cell phones operate at SAR limits of 1.6 W/kg in the US and 2.0 W/kg in Europe. The frequency-specific responses align with known physics about how different frequencies create thermal hotspots in biological tissue.
What makes this study particularly important is that it demonstrates biological detection of EMF effects without requiring the animals to show overt signs of harm. The rats' avoidance behavior suggests these exposures were creating uncomfortable or potentially harmful conditions that their natural instincts recognized. This type of behavioral evidence complements the growing body of research showing biological effects from wireless radiation at levels regulators currently consider safe.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1, 2, 6 and 10 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 360-MHz, 700-MHz or 2450-MHz
Exposure Context
This study used 1, 2, 6 and 10 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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
Two experiments were conducted to determine if hotspot formation in the body and tail of the rat, which is radiation frequency specific, would have behavioral consequences.
In the first experiment rats were placed in a plexiglas cage one side of which, when occupied by the...
A significant reduction in occupancy of the preferred side of the cage, and hence, microwaves subseq...
Show BibTeX
@article{ja_1988_reduced_exposure_to_microwave_918,
author = {D'Andrea JA and DeWitt JR and Portuguez LM and Gandhi OP.},
title = {Reduced exposure to microwave radiation by rats: frequency specific effects.},
year = {1988},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3344273/},
}