[Effect of extremely high-frequency electromagnetic radiation on the function of skin sensory endings].
Enin LD, Akoev GN, Potekhina IL, Oleiner VD · 1992
View Original AbstractMillimeter wave radiation at 5G frequencies disrupted skin nerve function in rats, with half of sensory receptors stopping response to touch within 25 minutes.
Plain English Summary
Russian researchers exposed rat paw skin to millimeter wave radiation (55.61 and 73 GHz frequencies) and measured how nerve endings responded to touch. They found that this extremely high-frequency EMF significantly reduced skin sensitivity - half of the nerve receptors stopped responding to touch within 25 minutes of exposure, while others showed altered responses even after 35 minutes. The effects showed a strict frequency-specific pattern, suggesting the radiation directly interferes with how skin sensors communicate with the nervous system.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning mechanism by which millimeter wave frequencies can disrupt basic sensory function. The frequencies tested (55-73 GHz) fall within the range now being deployed for 5G networks, making these findings particularly relevant as this technology expands globally. What makes this research especially significant is the demonstration of frequency-specific biological effects - the radiation didn't just cause general tissue heating, but showed precise resonance patterns that interfered with nerve function. The fact that sensory receptors either stopped working entirely or showed altered responses suggests these frequencies can disrupt the fundamental communication between our nervous system and the outside world. While this was an animal study with unspecified power levels, the clear biological mechanism identified here adds to the growing body of evidence that millimeter waves interact with living tissue in ways beyond simple thermal heating.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The aim of this study Is to investigate Effect of extremely high-frequency electromagnetic radiation on the function of skin sensory ending
The specific features of skin receptor function on the sole of the hind limb of an albino rat were s...
Impulse activity recorded from the solitary fibres of the tibial nerve showed that receptor units (R...
It is concluded that electromagnetic radiation has a modulatory-inhibiting effect on the skin RU. The authors suggest a possible mechanism of realization of the effect of electromagnetic radiation of extremely high-frequencies and low power on the skin receptor function.
Show BibTeX
@article{ld_1992_effect_of_extremely_highfrequency_2059,
author = {Enin LD and Akoev GN and Potekhina IL and Oleiner VD},
title = {[Effect of extremely high-frequency electromagnetic radiation on the function of skin sensory endings].},
year = {1992},
url = {https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/%5BEffect-of-extremely-high-frequency-electromagnetic-Ld-Gn/afdadc55f1b9e98a8fb7242611650bd4303ac90d},
}