Perturbations of plant leaflet rhythms caused by electromagnetic radio-frequency radiation.
Ellingsrud S, Johnsson A · 1993
View Original AbstractPlants exposed to radio frequency radiation showed disrupted natural rhythms, proving EMF can affect basic biological processes without heating tissue.
Plain English Summary
Norwegian researchers exposed Telegraph plants to radio waves at 27.12 MHz and found the electromagnetic fields disrupted the plants' natural leaf movements, even at the lowest power tested. The timing and rhythm changes occurred without heating effects, showing living organisms can be sensitive to RF radiation.
Why This Matters
This early study provides compelling evidence that electromagnetic fields can disrupt biological rhythms in living systems, even in plants. The researchers used power densities of 8 watts per square centimeter, which is extraordinarily high compared to typical environmental exposures (your cell phone operates at around 0.001-0.01 watts per square centimeter). However, the significance lies in demonstrating that RF radiation can interfere with fundamental biological processes that don't rely on nervous systems or complex cellular machinery. The fact that plants showed measurable responses suggests that EMF effects operate at a basic biophysical level, affecting the electrical processes that govern cellular function. What this means for you is that biological systems across the spectrum of life appear sensitive to electromagnetic interference, supporting the growing body of research showing that EMF effects extend far beyond simple tissue heating.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 8000 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 27.12 MHz
Exposure Context
This study used 8000 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 800,000Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 13,333.3Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 aim of this study is to investigate Perturbations of plant leaflet rhythms caused by electromagnetic radio-frequency radiation.
The minute-range up and down rhythms of the lateral leaflets of Desmodium gyrans has been studied wh...
We report effects in the leaflet rhythms such as temporary changes in the amplitude, period, and pha...
Show BibTeX
@article{s_1993_perturbations_of_plant_leaflet_960,
author = {Ellingsrud S and Johnsson A},
title = {Perturbations of plant leaflet rhythms caused by electromagnetic radio-frequency radiation.},
year = {1993},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8323575/},
}