Two-year chronic bioassay study of rats exposed to a 1.6 GHz radiofrequency signal.
Anderson LE, Sheen DM, Wilson BW, Grumbein SL, Creim JA, Sasser LB. · 2004
View Original AbstractTwo-year exposure to cell phone-level RF radiation showed no increased cancer risk in rats, though this single study doesn't settle the broader safety debate.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant rats and their offspring to 1.6 GHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for two years to study cancer risk. They found no increased cancer rates or significant health differences between exposed and unexposed animals. This study suggests that long-term exposure to this type of RF radiation at the tested levels may not substantially increase cancer risk in rats.
Why This Matters
This two-year bioassay represents one of the most comprehensive long-term studies of RF radiation effects, following animals from prenatal development through their entire lifespan. The 1.6 GHz frequency falls within the range used by modern wireless devices, making the findings relevant to human exposure concerns. However, the brain SAR levels tested (0.16 and 1.6 W/kg) span from below to above typical cell phone exposure levels, which generally range from 0.5-2.0 W/kg during calls. While the lack of observed cancer increases is reassuring, this single study cannot definitively resolve the RF-cancer question. The research landscape includes other animal studies with different findings, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer still classifies RF radiation as a possible carcinogen based on limited evidence. What this study does demonstrate is that at these specific exposure parameters, no clear carcinogenic signal emerged over two years of exposure.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.16 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1.6 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- Initiated at 19 days of gestation and continued at 2 h/day, 7 days/week
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The purpose of this study was to determine whether long-term exposure to a 1.6 GHz radiofrequency (RF) field would affect the incidence of cancer in Fischer 344 rats.
Thirty-six timed-pregnant rats were randomly assigned to each of three treatment groups: two groups ...
No statistically significant differences were observed among treatment groups for number of live pup...
Show BibTeX
@article{le_2004_twoyear_chronic_bioassay_study_821,
author = {Anderson LE and Sheen DM and Wilson BW and Grumbein SL and Creim JA and Sasser LB.},
title = {Two-year chronic bioassay study of rats exposed to a 1.6 GHz radiofrequency signal.},
year = {2004},
url = {https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article-abstract/162/2/201/42026/Two-Year-Chronic-Bioassay-Study-of-Rats-Exposed-to},
}