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Purkinje cell number decreases in the adult female rat cerebellum following exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic field

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Sonmez OF, Odaci E, Bas O, Kaplan S · 2010

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Cell phone-level radiation significantly reduced critical brain cells in rats after just 28 days of daily exposure.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed adult female rats to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used by many cell phones) for one hour daily over 28 days. They found that exposed rats had significantly fewer Purkinje cells in their cerebellum compared to unexposed rats. Purkinje cells are critical brain neurons that control movement, balance, and coordination, making their loss potentially serious for neurological function.

Why This Matters

This study adds to mounting evidence that radiofrequency radiation can damage brain tissue, even at relatively low exposure levels. The SAR values used (0.016 to 2 W/kg) span the range you might encounter from a cell phone held against your head during a call. What makes this research particularly concerning is that Purkinje cells don't regenerate once lost. These specialized neurons are essential for motor control and cognitive function, and their destruction has been linked to conditions like ataxia and other movement disorders. The science demonstrates that EMF exposure doesn't just heat tissue, as industry often claims, but can cause measurable structural damage to critical brain cells. This adds weight to the growing body of research showing that our current safety standards, based solely on heating effects, may be inadequate to protect neurological health.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.016 and 2 W/kg
Power Density
1 µW/m²
Source/Device
900 MHz
Exposure Duration
1h/day for 28 days

Exposure Context

This study used 1 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: 1 µW/m²Extreme Concern1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 10,000,000x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

To study the effect of electromagnetic field exposure on the Purkinje cell number in the cerebellum of adult female rats.

In the presented study, the effects on the number of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of 16-week (16...

Results showed that the total number of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of the EMFG was significant...

Therefore, it is suggested that long duration exposure to 900 MHz EMF leads to decreases of Purkinje cell numbers in the female rat cerebellum.

Cite This Study
Sonmez OF, Odaci E, Bas O, Kaplan S (2010). Purkinje cell number decreases in the adult female rat cerebellum following exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic field Brain Res. 1356:95-101, 2010.
Show BibTeX
@article{of_2010_purkinje_cell_number_decreases_190,
  author = {Sonmez OF and Odaci E and Bas O and Kaplan S},
  title = {Purkinje cell number decreases in the adult female rat cerebellum following exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic field},
  year = {2010},
  
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899310017051},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed adult female rats to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used by many cell phones) for one hour daily over 28 days. They found that exposed rats had significantly fewer Purkinje cells in their cerebellum compared to unexposed rats. Purkinje cells are critical brain neurons that control movement, balance, and coordination, making their loss potentially serious for neurological function.