THE BIOLOGIC ACTION OF ULTRAHIGH FREQUENCY CURRENTS
W. T. Szymanowski, Robert Alan Hicks · 1932
Scientists have been documenting biological effects from ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic waves since 1932, nearly a century before today's wireless revolution.
Plain English Summary
This 1932 study examined the biological effects of ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic waves, representing one of the earliest scientific investigations into how radio frequency radiation affects living systems. The research used short wave oscillators to study biological responses to these electromagnetic fields. This work established foundational understanding of RF bioeffects that remains relevant to modern EMF health research.
Why This Matters
This 1932 research represents a remarkable milestone in EMF science, predating our modern understanding of electromagnetic bioeffects by decades. The fact that scientists were already investigating the biological action of ultrahigh frequency waves in the early 20th century demonstrates that concerns about RF radiation effects aren't new or unfounded. What makes this particularly significant is the timing - this research emerged during the early days of radio technology, when exposure levels were far lower than what we experience today from WiFi, cell phones, and wireless devices operating in similar frequency ranges.
The reality is that we've had nearly a century to study these effects, yet regulatory agencies continue to treat RF bioeffects as uncertain science. This early work laid groundwork that thousands of subsequent studies have built upon, consistently showing that electromagnetic fields can produce measurable biological responses. Today's ubiquitous wireless technology exposes us to RF radiation at levels and durations that would have been unimaginable to these 1932 researchers.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 30 minutes to several hours
Study Details
To study the biologic effects of ultrahigh frequency currents, particularly focusing on the attenuation of bacterial toxins without heat effects, and to determine whether specific biological actions exist independent of thermal effects.
The study used a high frequency oscillator generating currents at wavelengths from 1.9 to 3.7 meters...
D'Arsonval and Charrin reported attenuation of diphtheria toxin without heat effect at 200,000 cycle...
The bulk of evidence supports the view that there is no physiologic action of short electric waves independent of the heat factor. However, specific frequencies exert selective heating effects on electrolytes according to their conductivity. The biologic effects of ultrahigh frequency currents are due to some action other than that of simple heat, though the specific mechanism remains unclear. The study demonstrates that specific wavelengths or frequencies may be peculiar to biologic effects, particularly in relation to selective heating effects based on particular conductivities in particular tissues.
Show BibTeX
@article{the_biologic_action_of_ultrahigh_frequency_currents_g6779,
author = {W. T. Szymanowski and Robert Alan Hicks},
title = {THE BIOLOGIC ACTION OF ULTRAHIGH FREQUENCY CURRENTS},
year = {1932},
}