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Effect of chronic microwave radiation on T cell-mediated immunity in the rabbit

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Nageswari KS, Sarma KR, Rajvanshi VS, Sharan R, Sharma M, Barathwal V, Singh V · 1991

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Chronic microwave exposure suppressed immune cells by up to 30%, suggesting everyday wireless radiation may weaken your body's infection-fighting ability.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rabbits to microwave radiation at levels similar to some occupational environments (5 mW/cm² at 2.1 GHz) for 3 hours daily over 3 months. They found that microwave exposure significantly suppressed T lymphocytes (immune cells that fight infections) by 21.5% after 2 months and 30.2% during follow-up testing. This suggests that chronic microwave exposure may weaken the immune system's ability to defend against infections and diseases.

Why This Matters

This study provides compelling evidence that chronic microwave exposure can suppress critical immune function, specifically T lymphocytes that serve as your body's frontline defense against infections and cancer. The 5 mW/cm² exposure level used here is well above typical cell phone emissions but within range of some occupational exposures and certain high-power wireless devices. What makes this research particularly significant is the clear dose-response relationship and the persistence of immune suppression even after exposure ended. The science demonstrates that EMF effects on immune function aren't just theoretical concerns but measurable biological changes that could leave you more vulnerable to illness. While this animal study can't directly predict human responses, it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting our wireless world may be compromising our natural defenses in ways we're only beginning to understand.

Exposure Details

Power Density
5 µW/m²
Exposure Duration
3 h daily, 6 days/week for 3 months

Exposure Context

This study used 5 µW/m² for radio frequency:

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 Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 5 µW/m²Extreme Concern1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 2,000,000x higher than this exposure level

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 less...

Cite This Study
Nageswari KS, Sarma KR, Rajvanshi VS, Sharan R, Sharma M, Barathwal V, Singh V (1991). Effect of chronic microwave radiation on T cell-mediated immunity in the rabbit Int J Biometeorol 35(2):92-97, 1991.
Show BibTeX
@article{ks_1991_effect_of_chronic_microwave_1215,
  author = {Nageswari KS and Sarma KR and Rajvanshi VS and Sharan R and Sharma M and Barathwal V and Singh V},
  title = {Effect of chronic microwave radiation on T cell-mediated immunity in the rabbit},
  year = {1991},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1743776/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed rabbits to microwave radiation at levels similar to some occupational environments (5 mW/cm² at 2.1 GHz) for 3 hours daily over 3 months. They found that microwave exposure significantly suppressed T lymphocytes (immune cells that fight infections) by 21.5% after 2 months and 30.2% during follow-up testing. This suggests that chronic microwave exposure may weaken the immune system's ability to defend against infections and diseases.