Evaluation of oxidant stress and antioxidant defense in discrete brain regions of rats exposed to 900 MHz radiation.
Narayanan SN, Kumar RS, Kedage V, Nalini K, Nayak S, Bhat PG. · 2014
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation caused measurable brain damage and behavioral changes in young rats at exposure levels similar to everyday phone use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed adolescent rats to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily over four weeks and found significant brain damage. The radiation caused oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) in all brain regions tested, with different areas showing varying degrees of harm. The rats also displayed altered behavior, suggesting the brain damage had functional consequences.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to our understanding of how cell phone radiation affects developing brains. The power density used (146.60 μW/cm²) is well within the range of typical cell phone emissions, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure. What makes this research particularly significant is that it examined multiple brain regions separately, revealing that radiation doesn't affect the brain uniformly. The hippocampus, crucial for memory and learning, showed decreased protective enzyme activity, while all regions showed increased cellular damage markers. The behavioral changes observed alongside the biochemical damage strengthen the case that these aren't just laboratory curiosities but real functional impacts. For parents concerned about children's developing brains, this study reinforces the importance of reducing unnecessary exposure during critical developmental periods.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.1466 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 hr/day
Exposure Context
This study used 0.1466 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 14.7Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 244.3Kx 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
In the current study, the effects of 900 MHz radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) on levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), total antioxidants (TA), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in discrete brain regions were studied in adolescent rats
Thirty-six male Wistar rats (6-8 weeks old) were allotted into three groups (n = 12 in each group). ...
Altered behavioral performances were found in RF-EMR-exposed rats. Additionally, elevated TBARS leve...
RF-EMR exposure for a month induced oxidative stress in rat brain, but its magnitude was different in different regions studied. RF-EMR-induced oxidative stress could be one of the underlying causes for the behavioral deficits seen in rats after RF-EMR exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{sn_2014_evaluation_of_oxidant_stress_558,
author = {Narayanan SN and Kumar RS and Kedage V and Nalini K and Nayak S and Bhat PG.},
title = {Evaluation of oxidant stress and antioxidant defense in discrete brain regions of rats exposed to 900 MHz radiation.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://manipal.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/evaluation-of-oxidant-stress-and-antioxidant-defense-in-discrete-},
}