Effects of low-intensity electromagnetic fields on behavioral activity of rats.
Kemerov, S, Marinkev, M, Getova, D · 1999
View Original AbstractEMF exposure at 10 mW/cm² impaired rats' learning abilities across multiple frequency ranges, suggesting cognitive effects below heating thresholds.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to electromagnetic fields at different frequencies and tested their learning abilities. EMF exposure at 10 mW/cm² impaired the rats' ability to learn new behaviors, with different frequencies affecting brain function differently, even at low power levels that don't cause tissue heating.
Why This Matters
This research adds important evidence to our understanding of how EMFs affect brain function at non-thermal power levels. The 10 mW/cm² exposure used here is significant because it's within the range of what you might encounter from some wireless devices, particularly older cell phones or when positioned very close to WiFi routers. What makes this study particularly valuable is its comparison across different frequency ranges, showing that the brain responds differently to various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The finding that learning ability was impaired even at these relatively low, non-heating power levels challenges the industry position that only thermal effects matter. This research supports the growing body of evidence that EMFs can affect cognitive function through biological mechanisms we're still working to understand.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 10 µW/m²
Exposure Context
This study used 10 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 1,000Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 16.7Mx 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 present study aimed at comparative assessment of the changes in behavioral activity of rats after exposing them to low intensity electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the meter, decimeter and centimeter ranges.
The experiments were carried out on 24 Wistar rats divided into 4 groups (1 control and 3 experiment...
The results suggest that exposure to EMFs in the three ranges can slow down the formation of conditi...
This study shows that determination of the effects of different EMFs should be done for each of the ranges separately; determination of the exact dosage of the electromagnetic fields can help to avoid their negative biological effects.
Show BibTeX
@article{kemerov_1999_effects_of_lowintensity_electromagnetic_1091,
author = {Kemerov and S and Marinkev and M and Getova and D},
title = {Effects of low-intensity electromagnetic fields on behavioral activity of rats.},
year = {1999},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10658372/},
}