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[Suppression of nonspecific resistance of the body under the effect of extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation of low intensity]

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Kolomytseva MP, Gapeev AB, Sadovnikov VB, Chemeris NK. · 2002

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Even brief exposure to 5G-range frequencies suppressed immune cell function by 50% at power levels below current safety limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Russian scientists exposed mice to 42 GHz radiation for 20 minutes daily and found it suppressed infection-fighting white blood cells by 50% after just one exposure. Five days of exposure increased total white blood cell count by 44%, suggesting millimeter waves disrupt immune function.

Why This Matters

This study provides compelling evidence that millimeter wave frequencies can profoundly alter immune system function at power levels well below current safety standards. The 42 GHz frequency tested falls within the range being deployed for 5G networks, and the power density of 0.15 mW/cm² is actually lower than some consumer devices. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates both immediate suppression of immune cell function and longer-term changes in white blood cell populations. The 50% reduction in neutrophil activity means the body's first line of defense against infections was cut in half after just one 20-minute exposure. The science demonstrates that our immune systems are far more sensitive to EMF than regulatory agencies acknowledge, responding to exposures that current guidelines consider completely safe.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.15 µW/m²
Source/Device
42.0 GHz
Exposure Duration
20 min daily

Exposure Context

This study used 0.15 µW/m² for radio frequency:

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 Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.15 µW/m²Extreme Concern1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 66,666,667x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Suppression of nonspecific resistance of the body under the effect of extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation of low intensity

The dynamics of leukocyte number and functional activity of peripheral blood neutrophils under whole...

It was shown that the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood neutrophils was suppressed by about 50...

The results indicated that the whole-body exposure of healthy mice to low-intensity EHF EMR has a profound effect on the indices of nonspecific immunity.

Cite This Study
Kolomytseva MP, Gapeev AB, Sadovnikov VB, Chemeris NK. (2002). [Suppression of nonspecific resistance of the body under the effect of extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation of low intensity] Biofizika. 47(1):71-77, 2002. [Article in Russian] (I-M).
Show BibTeX
@article{mp_2002_suppression_of_nonspecific_resistance_1106,
  author = {Kolomytseva MP and Gapeev AB and Sadovnikov VB and Chemeris NK.},
  title = {[Suppression of nonspecific resistance of the body under the effect of extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation of low intensity]},
  year = {2002},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11855293/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Russian scientists exposed mice to 42 GHz radiation for 20 minutes daily and found it suppressed infection-fighting white blood cells by 50% after just one exposure. Five days of exposure increased total white blood cell count by 44%, suggesting millimeter waves disrupt immune function.