Exposure to GSM 900 MHz electromagnetic fields affects cerebral cytochrome c oxidase activity.
Ammari M, Lecomte A, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H, de-Seze R. · 2008
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at 6 W/kg SAR reduced brain activity in memory and decision-making regions after just one week of exposure.
Plain English Summary
French researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation and measured brain enzyme activity. High-intensity exposure (6 W/kg) for 15 minutes daily reduced brain activity in memory and decision-making regions after one week. Lower exposures showed no effects, suggesting intensity matters for brain function.
Why This Matters
This study demonstrates that cell phone radiation can measurably alter brain metabolism at exposure levels well above current safety limits. The 6 W/kg SAR used here is three times higher than the 2 W/kg limit for cell phones in most countries, yet the researchers found significant changes in brain activity after just one week of brief daily exposures. What makes this particularly concerning is that the affected brain regions include the hippocampus (critical for memory formation) and prefrontal cortex (essential for decision-making and attention). The fact that these metabolic changes occurred so quickly suggests the brain is more sensitive to RF radiation than current safety standards assume. While this exposure level exceeds typical cell phone use, it's within range of what might occur during extended calls or when phones are used with poor signal strength, which forces devices to increase their power output.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 6 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900-MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 min/day for over seven days
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
The goal of this study was conducted to measure cytochrome oxidase (CO) levels using histochemical methods in order to evaluate regional brain metabolic activity in rat brain
Exposure to a GSM 900 MHz signal for 45 min/day at a brain-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) o...
Compared to the sham and control cage groups, rats exposed to a GSM signal at 6 W/Kg showed decrease...
Our results indicate that 6 W/Kg GSM 900 MHz microwaves may affect brain metabolism and neuronal activity in rats.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2008_exposure_to_gsm_900_812,
author = {Ammari M and Lecomte A and Sakly M and Abdelmelek H and de-Seze R.},
title = {Exposure to GSM 900 MHz electromagnetic fields affects cerebral cytochrome c oxidase activity.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300483X0800262X},
}