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The effects of prenatal exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat heart.

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Türedi S, Hancı H, Topal Z, Unal D, Mercantepe T, Bozkurt I, Kaya H, Odacı E. · 2014

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Prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field was associated with oxidative stress and structural changes in male rat pup heart tissue.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field for one hour per day on days 13 to 21 of pregnancy, then examined the hearts of male rat pups on postnatal day 21. The mean electrical field intensity inside the exposure box was 13.77 V/m. In the exposed group, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase values were significantly higher, while glutathione values were lower. Microscopy revealed irregularities in heart muscle fibers, apoptotic changes, mitochondrial swelling and crista loss, myofibril degeneration, and structural impairments in Z bands.

Why This Matters

The study focused on the prenatal period, meaning the rat pups themselves were never directly exposed; the exposure occurred while they were still developing in the womb. Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase values were significantly higher in the experimental group, while glutathione values were lower. Both light and electron microscopy were used to look for physical changes in heart tissue, and both revealed structural abnormalities in the exposed group.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.025 W/kg
Electric Field
13.77 V/m
Source/Device
900 MHz
Exposure Duration
(1 h/d) on days 13-21 of pregnancy

Exposure Context

This study used 13.77 V/m for electric fields:

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.025 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Severe Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 64 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on rat pup heart tissue of prenatal exposure to a 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF.

For this purpose, pregnant rats were divided into experimental and control groups. Experimental grou...

Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and catalase values were significantly higher in the experimen...

Our study results suggest that exposure to EMF in the prenatal period causes oxidative stress and histopathological changes in male rat pup heart tissue.

Cite This Study
Türedi S, Hancı H, Topal Z, Unal D, Mercantepe T, Bozkurt I, Kaya H, Odacı E. (2014). The effects of prenatal exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat heart. Electromagn Biol Med. 2014 Aug 28:1-8.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2014_the_effects_of_prenatal_576,
  author = {Türedi S and Hancı H and Topal Z and Unal D and Mercantepe T and Bozkurt I and Kaya H and Odacı E.},
  title = {The effects of prenatal exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat heart.},
  year = {2014},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25166431/},
}
PubMed: 25166431

Cited By (44 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Pregnant rats were exposed to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field for one hour per day on days 13 to 21 of pregnancy.
The mean electrical field intensity inside the exposure box was 13.77 V/m.
Light microscopy revealed irregularities in heart muscle fibers and apoptotic changes, while electron microscopy revealed crista loss and swelling in the mitochondria, degeneration in myofibrils, and structural impairments in Z bands.
Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase values were significantly higher in the experimental group rats, while glutathione values were lower.
The researchers suggested that prenatal exposure to the electromagnetic field causes oxidative stress and histopathological changes in male rat pup heart tissue.