Effects of 2.45-GHz microwave radiation and phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer in mice.
Wu RY, Chiang H, Shao BJ, Li NG, Fu YD · 1994
View Original Abstract2.45 GHz microwave radiation at levels 100 times higher than typical WiFi exposure did not promote colon cancer in mice.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation (the same frequency used in WiFi and microwave ovens) for 3 hours daily over 5 months to see if it would accelerate colon cancer development. The mice were also given a known cancer-causing chemical. The microwave radiation did not increase cancer rates or make tumors worse compared to the chemical alone.
Why This Matters
This study provides important data on whether 2.45 GHz radiation - the frequency emitted by WiFi routers, Bluetooth devices, and microwave ovens - can act as a cancer promoter. The exposure level of 10 mW/cm² is significantly higher than typical WiFi exposure (around 0.1 mW/cm² at close range), making this a fairly aggressive test of the cancer promotion hypothesis. The finding that microwave radiation did not accelerate colon cancer development, even at these elevated levels, adds to our understanding of RF radiation's biological effects. However, this was a relatively short-term study in young mice, and cancer promotion can be a complex, multi-stage process. The science demonstrates that while this particular exposure scenario didn't promote colon cancer, we shouldn't interpret this as blanket reassurance about all RF exposures and all cancer types.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 10 to 12 W/kg
- Power Density
- 10 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 3 hr daily, 6 days per week, over a period of 5 months
Exposure Context
This study used 10 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 1,000Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 16.7Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
This study used 10 to 12 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 25x 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 purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 2.45 GHz microwave (MW) radiation on dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon cancer in mice.
The subjects were 115 Balb/c mice 4 weeks of age. The animals were divided into group A (control), g...
The incidence of tumors did not significantly differ between the three test groups (groups B, C, and...
The study indicates that 2.45 GHz microwave radiation at 10 mW/cm2 power density did not promote DMH-induced colon cancers in young mice. The study also showed that TPA could accelerate colon tumor production if a tumor was initiated.
Show BibTeX
@article{ry_1994_effects_of_245ghz_microwave_1435,
author = {Wu RY and Chiang H and Shao BJ and Li NG and Fu YD},
title = {Effects of 2.45-GHz microwave radiation and phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer in mice.},
year = {1994},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7880166/},
}