Evaluation of genotoxic effects in male Wistar rats following microwave exposure.
Kumar S, Kesari KK, Behari J. · 2010
View Original AbstractLow-level microwave radiation caused genetic damage in rats at power levels below typical cell phone use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to low-level microwave radiation (10 GHz) for 2 hours daily over 45 days and found significant genetic damage in their blood cells. The radiation caused DNA damage (micronuclei formation) and increased harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species, while disrupting the body's natural antioxidant defenses. This suggests that even relatively low levels of microwave exposure can cause cellular damage that may contribute to tumor development.
Why This Matters
This study adds to the growing body of evidence that microwave radiation can cause genetic damage at power levels well below current safety standards. The SAR level used (0.014 W/kg) is actually lower than what your cell phone produces during a call, yet the researchers observed clear DNA damage and oxidative stress after just 45 days of exposure. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates biological effects at the cellular level that could lead to cancer development. The study found increased micronuclei formation, which is a well-established marker of genetic damage, along with elevated reactive oxygen species that can attack cellular components. The reality is that current safety standards focus only on heating effects and ignore these non-thermal biological impacts that occur at much lower exposure levels.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.014 W/kg
- Power Density
- 0.214 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 10 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2h a day for 45 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.214 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 21.4Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 356.7Kx 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
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Wistar rats (70 days old) were exposed for 2 h a day for 45 days continuously at 10 GHz [power densi...
These radiations induce micronuclei formation and significant increase in ROS production. Significan...
It is concluded that microwave exposure can be affective at genetic level. This may be an indication of tumor promotion, which comes through the overproduction of reactive oxygen species.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2010_evaluation_of_genotoxic_effects_9,
author = {Kumar S and Kesari KK and Behari J.},
title = {Evaluation of genotoxic effects in male Wistar rats following microwave exposure.},
year = {2010},
url = {http://imsear.hellis.org/handle/123456789/145011},
}