Effect of chronic microwave radiation on T cell-mediated immunity in the rabbit.
Nageswari KS, Sarma KR, Rajvanshi VS, Sharan R, Sharna M, Barathwal V, Singh V · 1991
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at cell tower levels reduced immune cell counts by 21-30% in rabbit blood without impairing function.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rabbits to 2.1 GHz microwave radiation at cell phone tower levels (5 mW/cm²) for 3 hours daily over 3 months to study immune system effects. They found a significant 21-30% reduction in T lymphocytes (key immune cells) in the blood, though the cells' function remained normal. This suggests microwave radiation may redistribute immune cells within the body rather than destroying them.
Why This Matters
This 1991 study provides important early evidence that chronic microwave exposure can alter immune cell distribution in the body. The exposure level of 5 mW/cm² falls within ranges you might encounter near cell towers or in areas with strong wireless signals, making these findings relevant to real-world scenarios. What's particularly significant is that while the researchers found reduced T lymphocyte counts in blood, the cells' immune function remained intact, suggesting the radiation caused cellular redistribution rather than damage. This research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that EMF exposure can influence immune system behavior even at levels considered 'safe' by current standards. The science demonstrates that our immune systems respond to microwave radiation in measurable ways, which raises important questions about long-term exposure effects that warrant further investigation.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 5 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.1 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 3 h daily, 6 days/week for 3 months
Exposure Context
This study used 5 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 500Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 8.3Mx 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
Experiments were conducted to elucidate the effects of chronic low power-level microwave radiation on the immunological systems of rabbits
Fourteen male Belgian white rabbits were exposed to microwave radiation at 5 mW/cm2, 2.1 GHz, 3 h da...
Significant suppression of T lymphocyte numbers was noted in the microwave group at 2 months (P<0.01...
From these results it is speculated that the T lymphocytes are sequestered to various lymphoid organs under the influence of microwaves. A sub-population of T cells known as T helper cells (mediating DTH response) are probably not affected by microwave radiation. It is clear from our experiments that although chronic microwave radiation at 5 mW/cm2 leads to suppression of peripheral T lymphocyte numbers, there is no concomitant functional impairment of these cells as evidenced by functional assays.
Show BibTeX
@article{ks_1991_effect_of_chronic_microwave_1073,
author = {Nageswari KS and Sarma KR and Rajvanshi VS and Sharan R and Sharna M and Barathwal V and Singh V},
title = {Effect of chronic microwave radiation on T cell-mediated immunity in the rabbit.},
year = {1991},
doi = {10.1007/BF01087483},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01087483?billing_country=US},
}