Effect of Exposure to 900 MHz Radiofrequency Radiation on Intrachromosomal Recombination in pKZ1 Mice.
Sykes PJ, McCallum BD, Bangay MJ, Hooker AM, Morley AA. · 2001
View Original AbstractExtended RF radiation exposure disrupted DNA repair mechanisms in mice at levels comparable to heavy cell phone use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to pulsed 900 MHz cell phone radiation for 30 minutes daily over different time periods to study effects on DNA recombination (the natural process where chromosomes exchange genetic material). After 25 days of exposure at 4 W/kg, they found a significant reduction in normal DNA recombination events in spleen tissue. This suggests that RF radiation can disrupt the cellular mechanisms that help repair DNA damage.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something particularly concerning about how RF radiation affects our cellular repair mechanisms. The researchers found that 25 days of exposure to 900 MHz radiation at 4 W/kg disrupted normal DNA recombination in mice. Put simply, this means the radiation interfered with one of the body's fundamental processes for maintaining genetic stability. The 4 W/kg exposure level is significant because it's double the current SAR limit for cell phones (2 W/kg), yet still within the range of what people can experience during heavy phone use or when devices are held close to the body. What makes this finding particularly noteworthy is that the effect wasn't immediate but emerged only after prolonged exposure, suggesting cumulative damage to cellular repair systems. The reality is that our cells constantly work to maintain DNA integrity, and any interference with these processes could have long-term health implications we're only beginning to understand.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 4 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 30 min daily for 1, 5 or 25 days.
Exposure Context
This study used 4 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 10x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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
We studied the effect of 4 W/kg pulsed 900 MHz RF radiation on somatic intrachromosomal recombination in the spleen in the pKZ1 recombination mutagenesis model.
Somatic intrachromosomal recombination inversion events were detected in spleen tissue of pKZ1 mice ...
There was no significant difference between the control and treated groups in the 1- and 5-day expos...
Show BibTeX
@article{pj_2001_effect_of_exposure_to_47,
author = {Sykes PJ and McCallum BD and Bangay MJ and Hooker AM and Morley AA.},
title = {Effect of Exposure to 900 MHz Radiofrequency Radiation on Intrachromosomal Recombination in pKZ1 Mice.},
year = {2001},
url = {http://www.rrjournal.org/doi/abs/10.1667/0033-7587%282001%29156%5B0495%3AEOETMR%5D2.0.CO%3B2},
}