Mutagenic response of 2.45 GHz radiation exposure on rat brain.
Kesari KK, Behari J, Kumar S. · 2010
View Original Abstract2.45 GHz radiation at WiFi-level frequencies caused DNA damage and cellular stress in rat brains after 35 days of exposure.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation (the same frequency used in WiFi routers and microwave ovens) for 2 hours daily over 35 days at relatively low power levels. They found significant DNA damage in brain cells, disrupted antioxidant defenses, and changes in proteins that regulate cell division. The authors concluded this chronic exposure pattern may promote brain tumor development.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing evidence that chronic low-level microwave exposure can damage brain tissue at the cellular level. The 2.45 GHz frequency tested is identical to what your WiFi router emits, though the specific absorption rate of 0.11 W/kg falls below current safety limits. What makes this research particularly concerning is the combination of effects observed: DNA strand breaks, compromised antioxidant systems, and altered histone kinase activity all point to cellular stress pathways linked to cancer development. The researchers didn't just find one isolated effect but a pattern of biological disruption that persists with chronic exposure. While this is animal research and we can't directly extrapolate to humans, the mechanisms identified operate similarly across mammalian species. The reality is that many of us maintain chronic exposure patterns similar to this study through our daily technology use, yet regulatory agencies continue to base safety standards primarily on heating effects rather than these biological responses.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.11 W/kg
- Power Density
- 0.34 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h a day for 35 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.34 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 34Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 566.7Kx 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
To investigate the effect of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation on rat brain of male wistar strain.
Male rats of wistar strain (35 days old with 130 ± 10 g body weight) were selected for this study. A...
A significant increase was observed in comet head (P < 0.002), tail length (P < 0.0002) and in tail ...
The study concludes that the chronic exposure to these radiations may cause significant damage to brain, which may be an indication of possible tumour promotion (Behari and Paulraj ).
Show BibTeX
@article{kk_2010_mutagenic_response_of_245_8,
author = {Kesari KK and Behari J and Kumar S.},
title = {Mutagenic response of 2.45 GHz radiation exposure on rat brain.},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.3109/09553000903564059},
url = {http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09553000903564059},
}