Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.
DNA damage in rat brain cells after in vivo exposure to 2450 MHz electromagnetic radiation and various methods of euthanasia.
Malyapa RS, Ahern EW, Bi C, Straube WL, LaRegina M, Pickard WF, Roti RotiJL, · 1998
View Original AbstractThe study did not confirm that 2450 MHz microwave exposure causes DNA damage in rat brain cells, and found that guillotine euthanasia is more appropriate than CO2 asphyxia for DNA damage research.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed male Sprague-Dawley rats to 2450 MHz continuous-wave microwaves for two hours at 1.2 W/kg specific absorption rate. No significant differences in DNA damage were found between sham-exposed and irradiated rats in either the cerebral cortex or hippocampus, regardless of euthanasia method. Rats euthanized by CO2 asphyxia showed more intrinsic DNA damage and greater experiment-to-experiment variation than those euthanized by guillotine. The authors concluded that guillotine euthanasia is the most appropriate method for DNA damage studies. The study did not confirm previous reports of DNA damage from 2450 MHz microwave exposure.
Why This Matters
The study was designed to test an earlier report that low-intensity 2450 MHz radiation causes DNA single-strand breaks. Core body temperature did not rise during exposure. Eight pairs of rats were assigned to each euthanasia group. Brain cells from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were analyzed using the alkaline comet assay.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 2450 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h
Exposure Context
This study used 1.2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 3x 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
The present study was done to confirm the reported observation that low-intensity acute exposure to 2450 MHz radiation causes DNA single-strand breaks (Lai and Singh, Bioelectromagnetics 16, 207-210, 1995).
Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing approximately 250 g were irradiated with 2450 MHz continuous-wave ...
Irrespective of whether the rats were euthanized by CO2 asphyxia or decapitated by guillotine, no si...
Therefore, the guillotine method of euthanasia is the most appropriate in studies relating to DNA damage. Furthermore, we did not confirm the observation that DNA damage is produced in cells of the rat cerebral cortex or the hippocampus after a 2-h exposure to 2450 MHz CW microwaves or at 4 h after the exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{rs_1998_dna_damage_in_rat_2920,
author = {Malyapa RS and Ahern EW and Bi C and Straube WL and LaRegina M and Pickard WF and Roti RotiJL and},
title = {DNA damage in rat brain cells after in vivo exposure to 2450 MHz electromagnetic radiation and various methods of euthanasia.},
year = {1998},
url = {https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article-abstract/149/6/637/40821/DNA-Damage-in-Rat-Brain-Cells-after-In-Vivo},
}