Repeated exposure to low-level extremely low frequency-modulated microwaves affects cortex-hypothalamus interplay in freely moving rats: EEG study.
Vorobyov V, Janać B, Pesić V, Prolić Z. · 2010
View Original AbstractLow-level microwave exposure disrupts brain region communication in ways that accumulate over time, even at cell phone-level radiation.
Plain English Summary
Researchers monitored brain activity in rats exposed to low-level microwave radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for 10 minutes daily over five days. They found that repeated exposures disrupted the normal communication patterns between two key brain regions - the cortex (responsible for thinking) and hypothalamus (which controls hormones and basic body functions). The effects got stronger with each day of exposure, suggesting the brain changes accumulate over time.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that even brief, low-level microwave exposures can alter fundamental brain function patterns. The SAR level of 0.7 mW/g falls well within the range of typical cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure scenarios. What's particularly concerning is the cumulative effect the researchers observed - the brain changes didn't just occur during exposure but built up over repeated sessions. The disruption of cortex-hypothalamus communication is significant because this pathway regulates everything from sleep cycles to stress responses. While this was an animal study, the brain wave patterns measured are similar to those in humans, and the exposure levels mirror what millions of people experience daily through wireless device use.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.7 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 0.5-30 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 10 Minutes
Exposure Context
This study used 0.7 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 1.7x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 compare the effects of repeated exposure to extremely low frequency-modulated microwaves (ELF-MW) on cortical and hypothalamic electroencephalograms (EEG).
In 10 freely moving rats with carbon electrodes implanted into the cortex and dorsomedial hypothalam...
In baseline EEG, the activities of 3.2-6.0 Hz and 17.8-30.5 Hz dominated in the cortex and of 6.0-17...
These results are in line with evidence that repeated low-level exposure to ELF-MW affects brain functioning and provide an additional approach when analysing underlying mechanisms.
Show BibTeX
@article{v_2010_repeated_exposure_to_lowlevel_1413,
author = {Vorobyov V and Janać B and Pesić V and Prolić Z.},
title = {Repeated exposure to low-level extremely low frequency-modulated microwaves affects cortex-hypothalamus interplay in freely moving rats: EEG study.},
year = {2010},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20397842/},
}