Low power microwave radiation inhibits the proliferation of rabbit lens epithelial cells by upregulating P27Kip1 expression.
Yao K, Wang KJ, Sun ZH, Tan J, Xu W, Zhu LJ, Lu de Q. · 2004
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at 0.50 mW/cm² disrupted normal eye lens cell function, suggesting potential vision risks from close wireless device use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rabbit eye lens cells to microwave radiation at 2.45 GHz for eight hours. Cell growth significantly decreased at power levels of 0.50 mW/cm² and higher, suggesting wireless device radiation could potentially interfere with the eye's natural repair processes.
Why This Matters
This study reveals concerning effects on eye cells at relatively low microwave exposure levels. The researchers found measurable biological changes starting at just 0.50 mW/cm² - a power density that falls within the range of some wireless devices when used close to the body. What makes this particularly significant is that the lens epithelial cells are crucial for maintaining the eye's lens throughout life, and any disruption to their normal function could potentially contribute to vision problems. The fact that the cells showed arrested growth and reduced viability after just 8 hours of exposure raises questions about the cumulative effects of chronic low-level microwave exposure from our increasingly connected world. While this is laboratory research on rabbit cells rather than human studies, it adds to the growing body of evidence that microwave radiation can cause biological effects at power levels well below current safety standards.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2,450 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 8 Hours
Exposure Context
This study used 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 10Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 166.7Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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
The goal of this study was to examine the effects of low power microwave radiation (<10 mW/cm2) on the proliferation of cultured rabbit lens epithelial cells (RLEC).
Cultured RLEC were exposed to continuous microwave radiation at a frequency of 2,450 MHz and power d...
After 8 h of radiation treatment, cells treated with 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00 mW/cm2 microwave radiation...
This study suggests that low power microwave radiation higher than 0.50 mW/cm2 can inhibit lens epithelial cell proliferation, and increase the expression of P27Kip1. These effects may account for the decline of lens epithelial proliferation after exposure to microwave radiation.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2004_low_power_microwave_radiation_1447,
author = {Yao K and Wang KJ and Sun ZH and Tan J and Xu W and Zhu LJ and Lu de Q.},
title = {Low power microwave radiation inhibits the proliferation of rabbit lens epithelial cells by upregulating P27Kip1 expression.},
year = {2004},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14990889/},
}