Chronic exposure to GSM 1800-MHz microwaves reduces excitatory synaptic activity in cultured hippocampal neurons.
Xu S, Ning W, Xu Z, Zhou S, Chiang H, Luo J. · 2006
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at 2.4 W/kg weakened brain cell connections in the hippocampus, potentially affecting memory formation.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rat brain cells to 1800-MHz cell phone radiation (the same frequency used by GSM phones) for 15 minutes daily over 8 days. They found that this exposure weakened the electrical connections between brain cells in the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for memory and learning. The radiation reduced the strength of signals that brain cells use to communicate with each other.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that cell phone radiation can disrupt fundamental brain cell communication at exposure levels well within current safety limits. The 2.4 W/kg SAR used here is actually higher than typical phone use (which ranges from 0.5-2.0 W/kg), but it demonstrates clear biological effects on the very synapses that enable memory formation and cognitive function. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows selective damage to specific types of brain cell connections while leaving others intact, suggesting the effects are not simply due to heating. The hippocampus is essential for forming new memories and spatial navigation, so any disruption to its cellular function has profound implications for cognitive health. While this was conducted on isolated cells rather than whole animals, it adds to mounting evidence that EMF exposure can alter brain function at the cellular level.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2.4 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1800-MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 min per day for 8 days
Exposure Context
This study used 2.4 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 6x 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 assesses the effects of microwave exposure on the function of cultured hippocampal neurons of rats using whole cell patch-clamp analysis combined with immunocytochemistry.
We showed that chronic exposure (15 min per day for 8 days) to Global System for Mobile Communicatio...
Our results indicated that 2.4 W/kg GSM 1800-MHz microwaves may reduce excitatory synaptic activity and the number of excitatory synapses in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2006_chronic_exposure_to_gsm_1439,
author = {Xu S and Ning W and Xu Z and Zhou S and Chiang H and Luo J.},
title = {Chronic exposure to GSM 1800-MHz microwaves reduces excitatory synaptic activity in cultured hippocampal neurons.},
year = {2006},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16443327/},
}