Long-term exposure to 835 MHz RF-EMF induces hyperactivity, autophagy and demyelination in the cortical neurons of mice
Kim JH, Yu DH, Huh YH, Lee EH, Kim HG, Kim HR. · 2017
View Original AbstractProlonged cell phone-level radiation exposure damaged brain cell insulation and caused hyperactive behavior in mice, suggesting potential neurological risks.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to cell phone-level radiation (835 MHz) for 5 hours daily over 12 weeks and found significant brain changes. The radiation damaged the protective coating around brain cells (called myelin) and caused hyperactive behavior in the mice. This suggests that prolonged exposure to radiofrequency radiation at levels similar to heavy cell phone use may harm brain function and behavior.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation at levels comparable to heavy mobile phone use can cause measurable brain damage. The 4.0 W/kg SAR level used here is within the range of what your head absorbs during extended phone calls, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates two concerning effects: physical damage to the brain's wiring (demyelination) and behavioral changes (hyperactivity). The fact that the brain's protective mechanisms (autophagy) were activated suggests the tissue was under stress and trying to repair itself. While the cellular bodies remained intact, the damage to myelin sheaths could impair how brain cells communicate with each other. This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that our current safety standards, which only consider heating effects, may be inadequate to protect against biological harm from chronic RF exposure.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 4 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 835 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 5 hours a day for 12 weeks
Exposure Context
This study used 4 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 10x 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
This study assessed neuronal effects of RF-EMF on the cerebral cortex of the mouse brain as a proxy for cranial exposure during mobile phone use.
C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 835 MHz RF-EMF at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4.0 W/kg for 5 ho...
Induction of autophagy genes and production of proteins including LC3B-II and Beclin1 were increased...
Show BibTeX
@article{jh_2017_longterm_exposure_to_835_116,
author = {Kim JH and Yu DH and Huh YH and Lee EH and Kim HG and Kim HR.},
title = {Long-term exposure to 835 MHz RF-EMF induces hyperactivity, autophagy and demyelination in the cortical neurons of mice},
year = {2017},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/srep41129},
}