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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Reproductive Health

No adverse effects detected for simultaneous whole-body exposure to multiple-frequency radiofrequency electromagnetic fields for rats in the intrauterine and pre- and post-weaning periods.

No Effects Found

Shirai T, Wang J, Kawabe M, Wake K, Watanabe SI, Takahashi S, Fujiwara O · 2017

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Multi-frequency wireless exposure showed no reproductive harm in rats, but exposure levels weren't specified for real-world comparison.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed pregnant rats and their offspring to eight different wireless communication frequencies (from cell phones to WiFi) for 20 hours daily throughout pregnancy and early development. They found no adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes, offspring development, memory function, or reproductive ability across two generations of rats. This study suggests that simultaneous exposure to multiple wireless frequencies at communication signal levels may not harm reproductive health or early development.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 800 MHz - 5.20 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 800 MHz - 5.20 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 800 MHz–5.2 GHz Duration: 20 h per day

Study Details

In everyday life, people are exposed to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) with multiple frequencies. To evaluate the possible adverse effects of multifrequency RF EMFs, we performed an experiment in which pregnant rats and their delivered offspring were simultaneously exposed to eight different communication signal EMFs (two of 800 MHz band, two of 2 GHz band, one of 2.4 GHz band, two of 2.5 GHz band and one of 5.2 GHz band).

Thirty six pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) 10-week-old rats were divided into three groups of 12 rats: ...

No abnormal findings were observed in the dams or F1 offspring exposed to the RF EMFs or to the F2 o...

Thus, under the conditions of the present experiment, simultaneous whole-body exposure to eight different communication signal EMFs at frequencies between 800 MHz and 5.2 GHz did not show any adverse effects on pregnancy or on the development of rats.

Cite This Study
Shirai T, Wang J, Kawabe M, Wake K, Watanabe SI, Takahashi S, Fujiwara O (2017). No adverse effects detected for simultaneous whole-body exposure to multiple-frequency radiofrequency electromagnetic fields for rats in the intrauterine and pre- and post-weaning periods. J Radiat Res. 58(1):48-58, 2017.
Show BibTeX
@article{t_2017_no_adverse_effects_detected_3397,
  author = {Shirai T and Wang J and Kawabe M and Wake K and Watanabe SI and Takahashi S and Fujiwara O},
  title = {No adverse effects detected for simultaneous whole-body exposure to multiple-frequency radiofrequency electromagnetic fields for rats in the intrauterine and pre- and post-weaning periods.},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27694283/},
}
PubMed: 27694283

Cited By (25 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2017 study found no adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes when rats were exposed to eight different wireless frequencies (800 MHz to 5.2 GHz) for 20 hours daily throughout pregnancy. The research examined cell phone, WiFi, and other communication signals simultaneously with no negative impacts detected.
Research shows 20-hour daily exposure to multiple wireless frequencies including WiFi and cell phone signals did not harm developing rat offspring. The study tracked development through two generations and found no adverse effects on memory, growth, or reproductive ability in exposed animals.
A comprehensive study found exposure to frequencies from 800 MHz to 5.2 GHz during pregnancy was safe for rat development. Researchers exposed pregnant rats to eight different communication frequencies simultaneously and observed no abnormal findings in mothers or offspring across two generations.
Studies indicate that simultaneous exposure to multiple communication frequencies including cell tower and WiFi signals does not affect rat reproductive health. Research using eight different frequencies between 800 MHz and 5.2 GHz found no impact on fertility or reproductive function across generations.
Research found that combined exposure to eight different wireless communication frequencies (800 MHz to 5.2 GHz) does not cause memory problems in rat offspring. The study examined cognitive function and development with no adverse effects detected from the multi-frequency exposure protocol.