8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Whole Body / General

The Effect of Radar on Cardiac Pacemakers

Bioeffects Seen

DETLEF ROHL, HANS M. LAUN, MICHAEL E. T. HAUBER, MARTIN STAUCH, HELMUT VOIGT · 1975

Share:

Cardiac pacemakers can malfunction from radar exposure over a kilometer away, but proper shielding with filtering provides protection.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested 16 cardiac pacemakers against powerful radar radiation in 1975, finding all devices showed interference at power levels between 0.025-62.5 mW/cm². Three of six implanted pacemakers malfunctioned when exposed to radar beams from 1.2 kilometers away, but modified pacemakers with special filtering remained protected even at extremely high exposure levels.

Why This Matters

This landmark 1975 study reveals a critical vulnerability that remains relevant today. The finding that pacemakers could malfunction from radar exposure 1.2 kilometers away demonstrates how EMF can interfere with life-sustaining medical devices at considerable distances. What makes this particularly concerning is that the researchers discovered standard metal shielding wasn't enough - the pacemaker leads themselves act as antennas, allowing EMF to bypass protective enclosures.

While modern pacemakers have improved shielding, we now live in an environment with far more diverse EMF sources than existed in 1975. The study's solution - combining metal encapsulation with low-pass filtering - protected devices even at power densities exceeding 10 W/cm². This demonstrates that effective EMF protection is possible when properly implemented, yet highlights how vulnerable unprotected medical devices remain to electromagnetic interference.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
DETLEF ROHL, HANS M. LAUN, MICHAEL E. T. HAUBER, MARTIN STAUCH, HELMUT VOIGT (1975). The Effect of Radar on Cardiac Pacemakers.
Show BibTeX
@article{the_effect_of_radar_on_cardiac_pacemakers_g4855,
  author = {DETLEF ROHL and HANS M. LAUN and MICHAEL E. T. HAUBER and MARTIN STAUCH and HELMUT VOIGT},
  title = {The Effect of Radar on Cardiac Pacemakers},
  year = {1975},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, this study found three of six implanted pacemakers were inhibited or triggered by radar beams from 1.2 kilometers away. The radar operated every 5.5 seconds, demonstrating that powerful EMF sources can affect medical devices at considerable distances.
All 16 pacemakers tested showed signs of interference at pulse power densities between 0.025 mW/cm² and 62.5 mW/cm² when tested in air. The wide range indicates different pacemaker models have varying susceptibility to electromagnetic interference.
The pacemaker electrode leads act as antennas, allowing interfering radiation to enter the device directly. Standard metal encapsulation of the pulse generator alone cannot provide sufficient shielding against microwave radiation entering through these leads.
Pacemakers modified with both metal encapsulation and low-pass filters at the electrode remained undisturbed at pulse power densities exceeding 10 W/cm² under worst-case laboratory conditions, demonstrating highly effective protection when properly engineered.
Researchers found that testing in fat or air represents the worst-case conditions after implantation. Tests in water and saline underestimated interference potential, making air and fat the most reliable mediums for evaluating pacemaker EMF susceptibility.