Blood-brain barrier permeability and nerve cell damage in rat brain 14 and 28 days after exposure to microwaves from GSM mobile phones.
Eberhardt JL, Persson BR, Brun AE, Salford LG, Malmgren LO. · 2008
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation breached rats' blood-brain barriers and damaged neurons at exposure levels below typical phone use.
Plain English Summary
Swedish researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation at 900 MHz for 2 hours and examined their brains 14 and 28 days later. They found that the radiation compromised the blood-brain barrier (the protective shield around the brain) and caused nerve cell damage. The blood-brain barrier leaked proteins into brain tissue within 14 days, while actual nerve cell death appeared after 28 days.
Why This Matters
This study adds to mounting evidence that cell phone radiation can breach one of the body's most critical protective barriers. The blood-brain barrier exists specifically to keep harmful substances out of brain tissue, yet these researchers found that just 2 hours of GSM exposure at relatively low power levels could compromise this defense. What makes this particularly concerning is that the lowest exposure level tested (0.12 mW/kg) is well below typical cell phone use, yet still produced measurable effects. The delayed appearance of actual nerve damage at 28 days suggests the brain injury process unfolds over weeks, not immediately. This timeline could explain why acute effects from phone use aren't obvious, while long-term consequences may be building silently.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.00012, 0.0012, 0.012, 0.12 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 Hours
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
We investigated the effects of global system for mobile communication (GSM) microwave exposure on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and signs of neuronal damage in rats using a real GSM programmable mobile phone in the 900 MHz band.
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Show BibTeX
@article{jl_2008_bloodbrain_barrier_permeability_and_958,
author = {Eberhardt JL and Persson BR and Brun AE and Salford LG and Malmgren LO.},
title = {Blood-brain barrier permeability and nerve cell damage in rat brain 14 and 28 days after exposure to microwaves from GSM mobile phones.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18821198/},
}