Gene expression changes in the skin of rats induced by prolonged 35 GHz millimeter-wave exposure.
Millenbaugh NJ, Roth C, Sypniewska R, Chan V, Eggers JS, Kiel JL, Blystone RV, Mason PA · 2008
View Original AbstractMillimeter wave exposure caused genetic changes in 56+ genes and visible tissue damage, showing these 5G frequencies have measurable biological effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 35 GHz waves (used in 5G) for 24 hours and found significant skin damage including collagen breakdown and changes in 56-58 genes controlling stress response and tissue repair, demonstrating that prolonged millimeter wave exposure causes measurable biological harm.
Why This Matters
This study provides crucial evidence that millimeter wave frequencies can cause real biological damage, not just theoretical concerns. The 75 mW/cm² exposure level used here is significantly higher than typical consumer device exposures, but the finding of genetic changes in stress response pathways is particularly noteworthy. The researchers documented both visible tissue damage and molecular-level changes in dozens of genes involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue repair. What makes this research especially relevant is that it examined 35 GHz frequencies, which fall within the millimeter wave spectrum being deployed for 5G networks. While the exposure duration was longer than typical phone use, the study demonstrates that these frequencies can penetrate skin tissue and trigger biological responses that persist well beyond the exposure period.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 75 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 35 GHz millimeter-wave
- Exposure Duration
- 24h
Exposure Context
This study used 75 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 7,500Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 125Mx 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
To better understand the cellular and molecular responses to overexposure to millimeter waves, alterations in the gene expression profile and histology of skin after exposure to 35 GHz radiofrequency radiation were investigated.
Rats were subjected to sham exposure, to 42 degrees C environmental heat, or to 35 GHz millimeter wa...
Microscopic findings observed in the dermis of rats exposed to 35 GHz millimeter waves included aggr...
These results obtained from histopathology, microarrays and RT-PCR indicate that prolonged exposure to 35 GHz millimeter waves causes thermally related stress and injury in skin while triggering repair processes involving inflammation and tissue matrix recovery.
Show BibTeX
@article{nj_2008_gene_expression_changes_in_1204,
author = {Millenbaugh NJ and Roth C and Sypniewska R and Chan V and Eggers JS and Kiel JL and Blystone RV and Mason PA},
title = {Gene expression changes in the skin of rats induced by prolonged 35 GHz millimeter-wave exposure.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18302488/},
}