Effect of head-only sub-chronic and chronic exposure to 900-MHz GSM electromagnetic fields on spatial memory in rats.
Ammari M, Jacquet A, Lecomte A, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H, de Seze R. · 2008
View Original AbstractRats exposed to cell phone radiation at levels 3-12 times higher than typical use showed no memory impairment after 24 weeks.
Plain English Summary
French researchers exposed rats to 900-MHz cell phone radiation for up to 24 weeks to test whether it would impair their spatial memory and navigation abilities. The rats showed no memory deficits even when exposed to radiation levels 3-12 times higher than typical cell phone use. This suggests that chronic exposure to GSM cell phone signals may not directly damage the brain's memory systems.
Why This Matters
This study provides some reassurance about cell phone radiation's effects on memory, but the findings require careful interpretation. The researchers used SAR levels of 1.5 and 6 W/kg, which are significantly higher than the 2 W/kg regulatory limit for cell phones. What this means for you is that even at these elevated exposure levels, the rats maintained normal spatial memory function. However, this single study doesn't settle the broader question of EMF's neurological effects. The science demonstrates mixed results across different memory and cognitive tests, with some studies showing impairments and others, like this one, finding no effects. The reality is that laboratory studies on memory represent just one piece of a much larger puzzle about how wireless radiation affects brain function.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 6 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900-MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 minutes per day during 8 or 24 weeks
Exposure Context
This study used 6 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 15x 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
This study was carried out to investigate the behavioural effects of sub-chronic and chronic head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) in male rats.
Rats were exposed for 45 minutes per day, at a brain-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) = 1.5 W...
Performance of exposed rats (1.5 or 6 W Kg(-1)) was compared with that of sham, negative control and...
Sub-chronic and chronic head-only exposure of rats to GSM 900 MHz signal (45-minutes, SAR = 1.5 or 15-minutes, SAR = 6 W Kg(-1)) did not induce spatial memory deficit in the radial-arm maze.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2008_effect_of_headonly_subchronic_814,
author = {Ammari M and Jacquet A and Lecomte A and Sakly M and Abdelmelek H and de Seze R.},
title = {Effect of head-only sub-chronic and chronic exposure to 900-MHz GSM electromagnetic fields on spatial memory in rats.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19117181/},
}