The relationship between colony-forming ability, chromosome aberrations and incidence of micronuclei in V79 Chinese hamster cells exposed to microwave radiation.
Garaj-Vrhovac V, Horvat D, Koren Z, · 1991
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at 7.7 GHz caused measurable DNA damage in cells within 15-60 minutes of exposure.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed Chinese hamster cells to microwave radiation at 7.7 GHz (similar to some radar frequencies) for up to one hour and found significant DNA damage. The microwaves caused chromosome breaks and abnormal chromosome formations, with damage increasing based on exposure time. This demonstrates that microwave radiation can directly damage the genetic material inside cells, even at relatively low power levels.
Why This Matters
This 1991 study provides clear evidence that microwave radiation can cause direct DNA damage in living cells. The researchers used 7.7 GHz frequency at 0.5 mW/cm² power density - levels comparable to some occupational radar exposures and certain wireless devices. What makes this research particularly significant is that it measured multiple types of genetic damage: chromosome breaks, abnormal chromosome formations, and micronuclei formation. The dose-dependent relationship (more exposure time equals more damage) strengthens the evidence for a causal link. While this was conducted on hamster cells rather than humans, cellular DNA damage is a fundamental biological process that translates across species. The reality is that our wireless devices operate at similar frequencies, and this study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that radiofrequency radiation can affect our genetic material at the cellular level.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.5 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 7.7 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 15, 30, and 60 min
Exposure Context
This study used 0.5 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 50Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 833.3Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 Details
The effect of microwave radiation on cell survival and on the incidence and frequency of micronuclei and structural chromosome aberrations was investigated.
Cultured V79 Chinese hamster fibroblast cells were exposed to continuous radiation, frequency 7.7 GH...
The decrease in the number of irradiated V79 cell colonies was related to the power density applied ...
These results suggest that microwave radiation can induce damage in the structure of chromosomal DNA.
Show BibTeX
@article{v_1991_the_relationship_between_colonyforming_995,
author = {Garaj-Vrhovac V and Horvat D and Koren Z and},
title = {The relationship between colony-forming ability, chromosome aberrations and incidence of micronuclei in V79 Chinese hamster cells exposed to microwave radiation.},
year = {1991},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2067554/},
}