Extraordinary behavior disorders in cows in proximity to transmission stations.
Loscher W, Kas G, · 1998
View Original AbstractCows showed behavioral problems near cell towers that completely resolved when moved away, suggesting everyday RF exposure levels affect animal behavior.
Plain English Summary
German researchers studied dairy cows living near TV and cell phone transmission towers and found significant behavioral abnormalities over a two-year period. When they moved an affected cow 20 kilometers away from the antennas, its behavior completely normalized within five days, but the problems returned when the cow was brought back. The study suggests that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from the transmission equipment were the likely cause of these behavioral changes.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling real-world evidence that radiofrequency radiation affects animal behavior at relatively low exposure levels. The power densities measured (0.02-7 milliwatts per square meter) are well within the range that humans regularly experience from cell towers and wireless infrastructure. What makes this research particularly significant is the controlled relocation experiment, which demonstrated a clear cause-and-effect relationship between EMF exposure and behavioral changes. The fact that symptoms disappeared when the cow was moved away and returned when brought back eliminates many other potential explanations. This adds to a growing body of evidence showing that wildlife and livestock are being affected by our increasingly electromagnetic environment, raising important questions about the adequacy of current safety standards that focus primarily on heating effects rather than biological responses.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.000002, 0.0007 µW/m²
Exposure Context
This study used 0.000002, 0.0007 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 200x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 3.3x 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 aim of this study is to investigate Extraordinary behavior disorders in cows in proximity to transmission stations.
In addition to reduction of milk yield and increased health problems, behavioral abnormalities were ...
In view of the previous described effects of electromagnetic fields, it might be possible that the observed abnormalities in cows are related to electromagnetic field exposure. (power densities measured 0.02-7 mW/m2).
Show BibTeX
@article{w_1998_extraordinary_behavior_disorders_in_1162,
author = {Loscher W and Kas G and},
title = {Extraordinary behavior disorders in cows in proximity to transmission stations.},
year = {1998},
url = {http://www.teslabel.be/001/documents/Conspicuous%20behavioural%20abnormalities%20in%20a%20dairy%20cow%20herd.pdf},
}