The correlation between the frequency of micronuclei and specific chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes exposed to microwave radiation in vitro.
Garaj-Vrhovac V, Fucic A, Horvat D · 1992
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at 7.7 GHz caused significant DNA damage in human blood cells at all tested power levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human blood cells to microwave radiation at 7.7 GHz (similar to some radar frequencies) and examined the DNA for damage. They found significant increases in chromosome breaks, abnormal chromosome formations, and micronuclei (small DNA fragments that indicate genetic damage) compared to unexposed cells. The study demonstrates that microwave radiation can directly damage human DNA at the cellular level.
Why This Matters
This 1992 study provides direct evidence that microwave radiation causes measurable DNA damage in human cells. The researchers used 7.7 GHz frequency, which falls within the range used by some radar and satellite communication systems. What makes this research particularly significant is that it found genetic damage at all tested power levels, including the lowest exposure of 0.5 mW/cm2. The study identified specific types of chromosome damage including dicentric chromosomes and ring formations, which are considered hallmarks of radiation-induced genetic injury. This research adds to the substantial body of evidence showing that RF radiation can cause biological effects through non-thermal mechanisms, contradicting industry claims that heating is the only concern.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.5, 10 and 30 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 7.7 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 10, 30 and 60 min
Exposure Context
This study used 0.5, 10 and 30 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
To study the correlation between the frequency of micronuclei and specific chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes exposed to microwave radiation in vitro.
Human whole-blood samples were exposed to continuous microwave radiation, frequency 7.7 GHz, power d...
In all experimental conditions, the frequency of all types of chromosomal aberrations was significan...
The results of the study indicate that microwave radiation causes changes in the genome of somatic human cells and that the applied tests are equally sensitive for the detection of the genotoxicity of microwaves.
Show BibTeX
@article{v_1992_the_correlation_between_the_55,
author = {Garaj-Vrhovac V and Fucic A and Horvat D},
title = {The correlation between the frequency of micronuclei and specific chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes exposed to microwave radiation in vitro.},
year = {1992},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0165799292900064},
}