900 MHz electromagnetic field exposure affects qualitative and quantitative features of hippocampal pyramidal cells in the adult female rat.
Bas O, Odaci E, Kaplan S, Acer N, Ucok K, Colakoglu S. · 2009
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation caused measurable brain cell death in the memory center at exposure levels similar to typical phone use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed young female rats to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily over 28 days and found significant loss of brain cells in the hippocampus, a region critical for memory and learning. The radiation levels used (0.016-2 W/kg SAR) overlap with what people experience during cell phone use. This cellular damage was visible both through precise cell counting and direct microscopic observation.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that radiofrequency radiation at levels similar to cell phone use can cause measurable brain cell death. The hippocampus is particularly concerning because it's essential for forming new memories and spatial navigation. What makes this research especially relevant is that the SAR levels used (0.016-2 W/kg) bracket the typical range people experience during phone calls, where local SAR can reach 1-2 W/kg near the device while whole-body exposure remains much lower. The researchers specifically noted their findings should encourage evaluation of chronic effects on teenagers' brains, which is particularly important given that young people's brains are still developing and may be more vulnerable to EMF exposure. While this is animal research, the biological mechanisms that cause cell death don't respect species boundaries, and the hippocampus functions similarly across mammals.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.016, 2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 h/day for 28 days
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The current study investigated the number of pyramidal cells in the cornu ammonis (CA) of the 16-week-old female rat hippocampus following postnatal exposure to a 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF.
In this study were three groups of 6 rats: control (Cont), sham exposed (Sham), and EMF exposed (EMF...
Results showed that postnatal EMF exposure caused a significant decrease of the pyramidal cell numbe...
These results may encourage researchers to evaluate the chronic effects of 900 MHz EMF on teenagers' brains.
Show BibTeX
@article{o_2009_900_mhz_electromagnetic_field_848,
author = {Bas O and Odaci E and Kaplan S and Acer N and Ucok K and Colakoglu S.},
title = {900 MHz electromagnetic field exposure affects qualitative and quantitative features of hippocampal pyramidal cells in the adult female rat.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19230827/},
}