PHYSIOLOGICAL DAMAGE DUE TO MICROWAVES
W. W. Salisbury, John W. Clark, H. M. Hines · 1948
Scientists documented microwave radiation's ability to cause physiological damage in animals as early as 1948, three decades before cell phones existed.
Plain English Summary
This 1948 technical report by W.W. Salisbury examined physiological damage caused by microwave radiation exposure in animals. The research represents one of the earliest systematic investigations into the biological effects of microwave energy, conducted during the post-World War II period when radar technology raised initial safety concerns. This foundational work helped establish the scientific understanding that microwave radiation can cause measurable biological harm.
Why This Matters
This 1948 report stands as a remarkable piece of scientific history - one of the first formal investigations into microwave biological effects, published just three years after World War II ended and radar technology emerged from military secrecy. The timing is significant: while the telecommunications industry today often portrays EMF health concerns as recent paranoia, scientists were already documenting physiological damage from microwave radiation over 75 years ago.
What makes this particularly relevant today is the frequency range. The microwaves that concerned researchers in 1948 operate in the same spectrum as your WiFi router, cell phone, and microwave oven. The difference is exposure duration and proximity. Where 1940s researchers studied acute effects from high-power sources, we now live with chronic, low-level microwave exposure that surrounds us 24/7. The early recognition of microwave bioeffects should inform our approach to today's ubiquitous wireless technologies.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 10 minutes
Study Details
To investigate the possibility of injury to people working with microwave equipment
Experiments were conducted on anesthetized laboratory animals, including rabbits and male albino rat...
Cataracts were formed in rabbits exposed for 10 minutes at a field intensity of about 3 watts per sq...
The work demonstrates the danger from exposure to microwaves, particularly in the vicinity of 10 cm wavelength. These are particularly treacherous, as damage may be done with little or no warning from the sensation of pain. No standards of safety have been established for these radiations; in the meantime, microwave radiation should be treated with the same respect as other energetic radiations such as X-rays, α-rays, and neutrons. Fortunately, microwaves are much easier to shield than other radiations. Several previous investigators failed to find damage due to microwave irradiations, probably due to either insufficient field intensity or not waiting long enough for latent damage to develop.
Show BibTeX
@article{physiological_damage_due_to_microwaves_g6905,
author = {W. W. Salisbury and John W. Clark and H. M. Hines},
title = {PHYSIOLOGICAL DAMAGE DUE TO MICROWAVES},
year = {1948},
}