Effects of GSM 1800 MHz on dendritic development of cultured hippocampal neurons.
Ning W, Xu SJ, Chiang H, Xu ZP, Zhou SY, Yang W, Luo JH · 2007
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at 2.4 W/kg disrupted brain cell development in this study, raising concerns about heavy phone use during critical growth periods.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed developing rat brain cells to cell phone radiation and found that higher exposure levels (2.4 W/kg) significantly reduced the formation of dendritic spines, which are essential for brain cell communication, suggesting potential interference with normal brain development during critical growth periods.
Why This Matters
This study provides concerning evidence that cell phone radiation can disrupt the fundamental building blocks of brain development. The 2.4 W/kg exposure level that caused damage is well within the range of real-world cell phone use, particularly during calls held close to the head. What makes this research particularly significant is its focus on developing neurons during a critical growth period, which mirrors the vulnerable developmental stages in children and adolescents. The finding that lower exposure levels showed no effects suggests there may be threshold levels below which the brain can cope with RF radiation. However, the damage to dendritic spines at higher exposures is especially troubling because these structures are essential for learning, memory, and overall brain function. This adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that the developing brain may be more susceptible to EMF effects than previously recognized.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2.4 and 0.8 W/kg
- Source/Device
- GSM 1800 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- repeated daily exposure, 15 min/day, for 9 days
Exposure Context
This study used 2.4 and 0.8 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2x 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 evaluate the effects of global system for mobile communications (GSM) 1800 MHz microwaves on dendritic filopodia, dendritic arborization, and spine maturation during development in cultured hippocampal neurons in rats.
The cultured hippocampal neurons were exposed to GSM 1800 MHz microwaves with 2.4 and 0.8 W/kg, resp...
There was a significant decrease in the density and mobility of dendritic filopodia at DIV8 and in t...
These data indicate that the chronic exposure to 2.4 W/kg GSM 1800 MHz microwaves during the early developmental stage may affect dendritic development and the formation of excitatory synapses of hippocampal neurons in culture.
Show BibTeX
@article{w_2007_effects_of_gsm_1800_155,
author = {Ning W and Xu SJ and Chiang H and Xu ZP and Zhou SY and Yang W and Luo JH},
title = {Effects of GSM 1800 MHz on dendritic development of cultured hippocampal neurons.},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1111/j.1745-7254.2007.00668.x},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-7254.2007.00668.x},
}