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Brain & Nervous System

Effects of high peak power microwaves on the retina of the rhesus monkey.

No Effects Found

Lu ST, Mathur SP, Stuck B, Zwick H, D'Andrea JA, Ziriax JM, Merritt JH, Lutty G, McLeod DS, Johnson M, · 2000

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Microwave radiation caused no retinal effects at 4.3 W/kg, roughly double typical smartphone exposure levels.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rhesus monkeys to high-power microwave radiation (1.25 GHz) for 4 hours daily over 3 weeks to study effects on the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). At moderate exposure levels (4.3 W/kg), they found no changes, but at higher levels (8.4-20.2 W/kg), some monkeys showed enhanced electrical responses in cone cells that detect color vision, though no actual damage occurred. The researchers concluded that retinal injury is very unlikely at 4 W/kg and that any changes at higher levels would likely be reversible.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 1.25 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 1.25 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 1.25 GHz Duration: 3 days per week for 3 weeks

Study Details

We studied the retinal effects of 1.25 GHz high peak power microwaves in Rhesus monkeys.

Preexposure fundus photographs, retinal angiograms, and electroretinograms (ERG) were obtained to sc...

The preexposure and postexposure fundus pictures and angiograms were all within normal limits. The r...

We concluded that retinal injury is very unlikely at 4 W/kg. Functional changes that occur at higher R-SAR are probably reversible since we saw no evidence of histopathologic correlation with ERG changes

Cite This Study
Lu ST, Mathur SP, Stuck B, Zwick H, D'Andrea JA, Ziriax JM, Merritt JH, Lutty G, McLeod DS, Johnson M, (2000). Effects of high peak power microwaves on the retina of the rhesus monkey. Bioelectromagnetics 21(6):439-454, 2000.
Show BibTeX
@article{st_2000_effects_of_high_peak_3211,
  author = {Lu ST and Mathur SP and Stuck B and Zwick H and D'Andrea JA and Ziriax JM and Merritt JH and Lutty G and McLeod DS and Johnson M and},
  title = {Effects of high peak power microwaves on the retina of the rhesus monkey.},
  year = {2000},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10972948/},
}
PubMed: 10972948

Cited By (30 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2000 study found that 1.25 GHz microwave radiation at moderate levels (4.3 W/kg) caused no retinal damage in rhesus monkeys. Even at higher exposure levels, researchers observed only enhanced electrical responses in color vision cells without actual tissue damage or degenerative changes.
Research on rhesus monkeys exposed to 1.25 GHz microwaves for 4 hours daily over 3 weeks found that retinal injury is very unlikely at 4 W/kg exposure levels. No functional or structural changes occurred in the retina at this power density.
Rhesus monkeys exposed to 1.25 GHz microwaves at 8.4-20.2 W/kg showed enhanced electrical responses in cone photoreceptors that detect color vision. However, researchers found no actual damage and concluded these functional changes would likely be reversible.
A study exposing rhesus monkeys to 1.25 GHz microwaves for 4 hours daily over 3 weeks found no permanent eye damage. Even at high exposure levels, retinal images and blood vessel patterns remained normal, with no degenerative tissue changes observed.
Research found that 1.25 GHz microwave exposure at 8.4 W/kg and above increased glycogen storage in monkey retinal photoreceptors. However, this metabolic change occurred without any structural damage or functional impairment to the eye tissue.