Poly ADP ribosylation as a possible mechanism of microwave--biointeraction
Singh N, Rudra N, Bansal P, Mathur R, Behari J, Nayar U · 1994
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at WiFi frequencies altered cancer-related enzymes in multiple organs after 60 days of exposure at current safety limits.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed young rats to microwave radiation at 2.45 GHz (the same frequency as WiFi and microwaves) for 60 days and found significant changes in an enzyme called poly ADPR polymerase that helps control gene expression. The enzyme activity increased by 20-35% in liver and reproductive organs but decreased by 20-53% in brain regions. These changes suggest microwave exposure may interfere with cellular processes linked to DNA repair and cancer development.
Why This Matters
This 1994 study reveals a concerning mechanism by which microwave radiation may influence cancer risk through epigenetic changes - modifications that affect gene expression without altering DNA directly. The researchers found that 60 days of exposure at 1.0 mW/cm² (well within current safety limits) caused organ-specific changes in poly ADPR polymerase, an enzyme crucial for DNA repair and gene regulation. What makes this particularly relevant is that the 2.45 GHz frequency tested is identical to what your WiFi router and microwave oven emit. The science demonstrates that chronic low-level exposure can trigger biological responses that may contribute to cancer development over time. While this was an animal study from three decades ago, it identified a plausible biological pathway that helps explain why numerous studies have linked RF exposure to increased cancer risk.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 1 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 60 days
Exposure Context
This study used 1 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 100Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 1.7Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) affect the metabolism of the body including the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, hematological as well as the reproductive system. EMFs are environmental pollutants, thus posing a health hazard which can cause steric changes in the molecule located at the cell surface. Microwaves are known to cause chromosomal abberations and act as tumor promoters. The process involves a stream of signals from cell membrane to nucleus and other organelles. The present investigations aim to understand the mechanism of biological effects of microwaves (2.45 GHz).
The effect was studied on poly ADP-ribosylation, which is a post translational modification of chrom...
There was an increase of 20% in its activity in liver, 35% in testis, whereas brain showed a 53% dec...
Show BibTeX
@article{n_1994_poly_adp_ribosylation_as_1329,
author = {Singh N and Rudra N and Bansal P and Mathur R and Behari J and Nayar U},
title = {Poly ADP ribosylation as a possible mechanism of microwave--biointeraction},
year = {1994},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7814078/},
}