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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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Cone photoreceptor response to light flash was enhanced at 8.4 and 20.2 W/kg R-SAR but not at 4.3 W/kg, and no degenerative changes or ERG depression were observed.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers studied retinal effects of 1.25 GHz high peak power microwaves in Rhesus monkeys. Preexposure and postexposure fundus pictures and angiograms were all within normal limits. Cone photoreceptor response to light flash was enhanced at 8.4 and 20.2 W/kg R-SAR but not at 4.3 W/kg R-SAR. Enhanced glycogen storage in photoreceptors was observed in sham, 8.4, and 20.2 W/kg groups but not in the 4.3 W/kg group. No degenerative changes or ERG depression were observed, and retinal injury was considered very unlikely at 4 W/kg.

Why This Matters

Microwaves were delivered anteriorly to the face with pulse characteristics of 1.04 MW peak power, 5.59 micros pulse length, and repetition rates up to 2.79 Hz. Exposure occurred 4 hours per day, 3 days per week for 3 weeks, totaling nine exposures. The supranormal cone photoreceptor b-wave was R-SAR dependent and may be an early indicator of mild injury.

Exposure Details

SAR
0, 4.3, 8.4, or 20.2 W/kg
Source/Device
1.25 GHz
Exposure Duration
3 days per week for 3 weeks

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kg
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

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

Microwaves were delivered at 0, 4.3, 8.4, or 20.2 W/kg spatially and temporally averaged retinal specific absorption rates (R-SAR).
Cone photoreceptor response to light flash was enhanced at 8.4 and 20.2 W/kg R-SAR but not at 4.3 W/kg R-SAR.
No evidence of degenerative changes or ERG depression was seen.
Seventeen monkeys were randomly assigned to receive sham exposure or pulsed microwave exposures.
Exposure was 4 h per day and 3 days per week for 3 weeks, for a total of nine exposures.