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Whole Body / GeneralPart of the Glaser Archive

Response of The Dog to 24,000 and 1285 MHz Microwave Exposure

No Effects Found

Sol M. Michaelson, Joe W. Howland, Wm. B. Deichmann · 1971

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Dogs showed no health effects from microwave exposure 400-500 times stronger than cell phones, even after thousands of hours.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed dogs to high-intensity microwave radiation at two frequencies (24,000 MHz and 1,285 MHz) for extended periods - up to 2,631 hours over 20 months. Despite power levels 400-500 times higher than typical cell phone exposure, no significant health effects were observed in the animals.

Why This Matters

This 1971 study represents some of the earliest systematic research into chronic microwave exposure effects, using power levels that dwarf modern wireless devices. The 20-24 mW/cm² exposure levels tested were roughly 400-500 times higher than what you'd experience from a cell phone held against your head. What makes this research particularly relevant today is that it tested both extremely high frequency radiation (24 GHz, similar to some 5G millimeter wave frequencies) and lower frequencies closer to early mobile communications. The lack of observable effects even at these extreme exposure levels provides important context for understanding potential risks from everyday wireless devices. However, we must acknowledge this study's limitations: it used dogs rather than humans, focused on gross pathological changes rather than subtle cellular effects, and employed the scientific methods available five decades ago. The research landscape has since revealed that biological effects can occur through mechanisms that weren't measurable in 1971.

Figures from the Original Paper

Diagrams extracted from the original research document.

graphPage 2 - AI-described figure: Figure 1 illustrates the effect of microwaves on body weight as a function of field intensity.
p. 2 of the original PDF
chartPage 5 - AI-described figure: Figure 3 and Figure 4 show neutrophil changes (1285 Mc/sec) and lymphocyte changes (1285 Mc/sec), respectively, over two weeks of exposure at different power levels in sham-exposed dogs.
p. 5 of the original PDF
Cite This Study
Sol M. Michaelson, Joe W. Howland, Wm. B. Deichmann (1971). Response of The Dog to 24,000 and 1285 MHz Microwave Exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{response_of_the_dog_to_24_000_and_1285_mhz_microwave_exposure_g3738,
  author = {Sol M. Michaelson and Joe W. Howland and Wm. B. Deichmann},
  title = {Response of The Dog to 24,000 and 1285 MHz Microwave Exposure},
  year = {1971},
  
  
}
No DOI on file for this study.

Quick Questions About This Study

The dogs were exposed to 20-24 mW/cm², which is approximately 400-500 times more powerful than typical cell phone radiation levels. This represents extremely high-intensity microwave exposure by today's standards.
Dogs received continuous 24,000 MHz exposure for a total of 2,631 hours spread over 20 months. The 1,285 MHz group was exposed 6 hours daily, 5 days per week for 4 weeks.
No significant radiation effects were observed in dogs exposed to either 24,000 MHz or 1,285 MHz microwaves, despite the extremely high power levels and extended exposure duration used in this study.
Yes, the 24,000 MHz (24 GHz) frequency tested is very close to some 5G millimeter wave frequencies, which typically operate between 24-28 GHz in many deployment scenarios.
This early study tested frequencies similar to modern 5G and used power levels hundreds of times higher than consumer devices, providing baseline data for understanding chronic exposure effects at extreme intensities.