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Brain & Nervous System

Effects of fetal microwave radiation exposure on offspring behavior in mice

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Zhang Y, Li Z, Gao Y, Zhang C. · 2015

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Prenatal microwave exposure at cell phone-level intensities caused anxiety and gender-specific learning impairments in mouse offspring.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to microwave radiation throughout pregnancy and tested their offspring's behavior. They found that prenatal microwave exposure increased anxiety-like behaviors in both male and female offspring, but only impaired learning and memory in males. This study provides the first evidence that microwave radiation can cause gender-specific developmental effects on the brain.

Why This Matters

This research adds concerning evidence to our understanding of how prenatal EMF exposure affects brain development. The study used 9.417-GHz microwaves at a SAR of 2 watts per kilogram - a level that's actually lower than many cell phones, which can reach SAR values of 1.6 W/kg or higher when held against the head. What makes these findings particularly significant is the demonstration of gender-specific effects, with male offspring showing impaired learning and memory while females were spared these cognitive impacts. This aligns with emerging research suggesting that developing brains may be especially vulnerable to EMF exposure, and that biological sex can influence susceptibility. The reality is that pregnant women today are surrounded by microwave-emitting devices - from WiFi routers to cell phones to smart meters - often at levels comparable to or exceeding what caused these behavioral changes in mice.

Exposure Details

SAR
2 W/kg
Electric Field
200 V/m
Source/Device
9.417-GHz
Exposure Duration
12 h

Exposure Context

This study used 200 V/m for electric fields:

This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

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 Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 2 W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 1x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

Here we investigated whether in utero exposure to 9.417-GHz microwave throughout gestation (Days 3.5-18) affected behavior, using the open field test (OFT), elevated-plus maze (EPM), tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST) and Morris water maze (MWM).

We found that mice showed less movement in the center of an open field (using the OFT) and in an ope...

. In summary, we have provided the first experimental evidence of microwaves inducing gender-dependent effects.

Cite This Study
Zhang Y, Li Z, Gao Y, Zhang C. (2015). Effects of fetal microwave radiation exposure on offspring behavior in mice J Radiat Res 2015; 56 (2): 261-268.
Show BibTeX
@article{y_2015_effects_of_fetal_microwave_211,
  author = {Zhang Y and Li Z and Gao Y and Zhang C.},
  title = {Effects of fetal microwave radiation exposure on offspring behavior in mice},
  year = {2015},
  
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/jrr/article/56/2/261/2755474?login=true},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to microwave radiation throughout pregnancy and tested their offspring's behavior. They found that prenatal microwave exposure increased anxiety-like behaviors in both male and female offspring, but only impaired learning and memory in males. This study provides the first evidence that microwave radiation can cause gender-specific developmental effects on the brain.