Melatonin and a spin-trap compound block radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells.
Lai, H, Singh, NP, · 1997
View Original AbstractRF radiation breaks DNA in brain cells through free radical formation, but antioxidants can block this damage completely.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 2.45 GHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used in microwave ovens and WiFi) for 2 hours and found it caused DNA strand breaks in brain cells. However, when they gave the rats either melatonin or a free radical scavenging compound before and after exposure, the DNA damage was completely blocked, suggesting that RF radiation damages DNA through free radical formation.
Why This Matters
This study provides crucial mechanistic evidence for how radiofrequency radiation damages living tissue. The fact that antioxidants completely prevented the DNA damage points to oxidative stress as the primary pathway - a finding that contradicts industry claims that RF radiation below heating thresholds is biologically inert. The exposure level used (SAR 1.2 W/kg) is within the range of modern cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates RF-induced DNA damage can be prevented through biological intervention, suggesting the damage occurs through well-understood cellular pathways rather than mysterious mechanisms. The science demonstrates that radiofrequency radiation creates free radicals that break DNA strands in brain tissue - damage that accumulates over time and potentially contributes to neurodegenerative disease and cancer risk.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.2 W/kg
- Power Density
- 2 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- continuous for 2 h
Exposure Context
This study used 2 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 200Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 3.3Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
This study used 1.2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 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
The aim of this study is to observe Melatonin and a spin-trap compound block radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells
Effects of in vivo microwave exposure on DNA strand breaks, a form of DNA damage, were investigated ...
we found that treatment of rats immediately before and after RFR exposure with either melatonin (1 m...
Data from this study could have important implications for the health effects of RFR exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{lai_1997_melatonin_and_a_spintrap_542,
author = {Lai and H and Singh and NP and},
title = {Melatonin and a spin-trap compound block radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells.},
year = {1997},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/(SICI)1521-186X(1997)18:6%3C446::AID-BEM7%3E3.0.CO;2-2},
}