900-MHz microwave radiation promotes oxidation in rat brain
Kesari KK, Kumar S, Behari J. · 2011
View Original AbstractMobile phone radiation at 0.9 W/kg SAR caused significant brain oxidative stress in rats, below current safety limits.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed young rats to 900 MHz mobile phone radiation (the same frequency used by many cell phones) for 2 hours daily over 45 days. They found significant brain changes including increased oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules), decreased antioxidant protection, and elevated markers associated with cell death. The study suggests that prolonged mobile phone radiation exposure may harm brain tissue through oxidative damage.
Why This Matters
This research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that mobile phone radiation can trigger oxidative stress in brain tissue. The 0.9 W/kg SAR exposure level used in this study is actually below the 2.0 W/kg limit set by the FCC for cell phones, yet it still produced measurable biological effects. What makes this study particularly concerning is the duration - 45 days of exposure revealed cumulative changes in critical brain proteins and antioxidant systems. The researchers found disrupted melatonin production, which affects sleep and cellular repair, along with increased markers of cell death. These findings align with dozens of other studies showing that chronic low-level RF exposure can overwhelm the brain's natural protective mechanisms, even at levels regulators consider 'safe.'
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.9 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- continuous for 2 h/day on 45 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.9 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.3x 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
To study the effect of mobile exposure on different regions of the rat brain.
For this, 35-day old Wistar rats were exposed to a mobile phone for 2 h per day for a duration of 45...
Our observations indicate a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the level of glutathione peroxidase, ...
The study concludes that a reduction or an increase in antioxidative enzyme activities, protein kinase C, melatonin, caspase 3, and creatine kinase are related to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in animals under mobile phone radiation exposure. Our findings on these biomarkers are clear indications of possible health implications.
Show BibTeX
@article{kk_2011_900mhz_microwave_radiation_promotes_115,
author = {Kesari KK and Kumar S and Behari J.},
title = {900-MHz microwave radiation promotes oxidation in rat brain},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.3109/15368378.2011.587930},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15368378.2011.587930},
}