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Effect of chronic intermittent exposure to AM radiofrequency field on responses to various types of noxious stimuli in growing rats.

Bioeffects Seen

Mathur R. · 2008

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Chronic RF exposure altered pain processing in developing rats at levels below current safety limits, suggesting neurological vulnerability during growth.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed growing rats to amplitude-modulated radiofrequency radiation (similar to AM radio signals) for 2 hours daily over 45 days and tested their pain responses. The exposed rats showed altered pain processing - they became more emotionally reactive to sharp pain while experiencing less sensitivity to prolonged pain. This suggests that RF radiation can disrupt the nervous system's normal pain processing mechanisms during critical developmental periods.

Why This Matters

This study reveals something particularly concerning about RF radiation exposure during development. The researchers found that chronic exposure to amplitude-modulated RF fields at relatively low power levels (SAR of 0.4 W/kg, which is below current safety limits) fundamentally altered how the developing nervous system processes pain signals. What makes this especially relevant is that the exposure parameters closely mirror real-world AM radio transmissions that many people encounter daily. The fact that pain processing was disrupted suggests broader neurological effects that could extend beyond pain sensation itself. The science demonstrates that the developing nervous system appears particularly vulnerable to RF radiation, with effects persisting even after exposure ends. This adds to the growing body of evidence showing that current safety standards may not adequately protect developing organisms from neurological impacts of chronic RF exposure.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.4 W/kg
Power Density
1.33 µW/m²
Source/Device
73.5 MHz amplitude modulated
Exposure Duration
45 d (2 h/d)

Exposure Context

This study used 1.33 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: 1.33 µW/m²Extreme Concern1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 7,518,797x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

To study the effect of Chronic Intermittent Exposure to AM Radiofrequency Field on Responses to Various Types of Noxious Stimuli in Growing Rats

We studied the pattern of nociceptive responses to various noxious stimuli in growing rats exposed t...

The TFL was not affected, HPL was decreased (p < 0.01), and the thresholds of TF and VD were not aff...

The data suggest that amplitude modulated RF field differentially affects the mechanisms involved in the processing of various noxious stimuli.

Cite This Study
Mathur R. (2008). Effect of chronic intermittent exposure to AM radiofrequency field on responses to various types of noxious stimuli in growing rats. Electromagn Biol Med. 27(3):266-276, 2008.
Show BibTeX
@article{r._2008_effect_of_chronic_intermittent_142,
  author = {Mathur R.},
  title = {Effect of chronic intermittent exposure to AM radiofrequency field on responses to various types of noxious stimuli in growing rats.},
  year = {2008},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18821202/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed growing rats to amplitude-modulated radiofrequency radiation (similar to AM radio signals) for 2 hours daily over 45 days and tested their pain responses. The exposed rats showed altered pain processing - they became more emotionally reactive to sharp pain while experiencing less sensitivity to prolonged pain. This suggests that RF radiation can disrupt the nervous system's normal pain processing mechanisms during critical developmental periods.