Cognitive Impairment and Neurogenotoxic Effects in Rats Exposed to Low-Intensity Microwave Radiation.
Deshmukh PS, Nasare N, Megha K, Banerjee BD, Ahmed RS, Singh D, Abegaonkar MP, Tripathi AK, Mediratta PK. · 2015
View Original AbstractBrain damage and cognitive decline occurred at radiation levels 3,000 times lower than current safety limits.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to extremely low-intensity microwave radiation at cell phone frequencies (900, 1800, and 2450 MHz) for 180 days and found significant cognitive impairment and DNA damage in brain tissue. The exposure levels were thousands of times lower than current safety limits, yet still caused measurable harm including memory problems and genetic damage. This challenges the assumption that only high-intensity radiation poses health risks.
Why This Matters
This study delivers a crucial finding that undermines the foundation of current EMF safety standards. The SAR levels used (around 0.0006 W/kg) are roughly 3,000 times lower than the FCC limit of 1.6 W/kg, yet produced clear biological damage including cognitive decline and DNA breaks in brain cells. What makes this research particularly significant is the chronic exposure period of 180 days, which better reflects real-world usage patterns than the short-term studies industry often relies on. The elevation of heat shock protein 70 indicates cellular stress responses were activated even at these minimal power levels. The science demonstrates that our brains may be vulnerable to cumulative damage from everyday device exposure, regardless of whether the radiation generates heat. This adds to a growing body of evidence showing biological effects occur well below thermal thresholds, suggesting millions of people using wireless devices daily may be experiencing similar neurological impacts.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.0005953 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 180 days
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic low-intensity microwave exposure on cognitive function, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and DNA damage in rat brain.
Experiments were performed on male Fischer rats exposed to MWR for 180 days at 3 different frequenci...
The results showed declined cognitive function, elevated HSP70 level, and DNA damage in the brain of...
The results indicated that, chronic low-intensity microwave exposure in the frequency range of 900 to 2450 MHz may cause hazardous effects on the brain.
Show BibTeX
@article{ps_2015_cognitive_impairment_and_neurogenotoxic_747,
author = {Deshmukh PS and Nasare N and Megha K and Banerjee BD and Ahmed RS and Singh D and Abegaonkar MP and Tripathi AK and Mediratta PK.},
title = {Cognitive Impairment and Neurogenotoxic Effects in Rats Exposed to Low-Intensity Microwave Radiation.},
year = {2015},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25749756/},
}