6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
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Whole Body / General

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Key Finding: 93% of 2,429 primary studies on whole body / general found biological effects from EMF exposure.

Of 2,429 studies examining whole body / general, 93% found measurable biological effects from EMF exposure.

Lowest Documented Effect

Research found effects on whole body / general at exposures as low as:

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in Context7.2 × 10⁻⁸ W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects documented below the Building Biology "No Concern" threshold (0.001 W/kg)FCC limit is 22.2 million times higher than this level

Research Overview

  • -When 95% of nearly 3,800 peer-reviewed studies document biological effects from electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, we're looking at a weight of evidence that demands attention.
  • -This isn't fringe science or industry speculation-it's the consistent finding across independent research examining how radiofrequency radiation, extremely low frequency fields, and other non-ionizing EMF sources interact with human physiology.
  • -The question isn't whether effects occur, but which ones matter most to you and your family.

When 95% of nearly 3,800 peer-reviewed studies document biological effects from electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, we're looking at a weight of evidence that demands attention. This isn't fringe science or industry speculation-it's the consistent finding across independent research examining how radiofrequency radiation, extremely low frequency fields, and other non-ionizing EMF sources interact with human physiology. The question isn't whether effects occur, but which ones matter most to you and your family. The documented effects span multiple biological systems.

That's what the evidence shows across the 3,798 studies in our whole body research collection: 3,591 of them identified biological changes in response to electromagnetic field exposure.

Research on chicken embryos exposed to both ELF and RF radiation demonstrated 27% less protective protein production after repeated exposures, indicating compromised cellular defense mechanisms.

Source: BioInitiative Working Group. BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for Biologically-based Public Exposure Standards for Electromagnetic Radiation. Edited by Cindy Sage and David O. Carpenter, BioInitiative, 2012, updated 2020. www.bioinitiative.org

Showing 2,816 studies

WAVEGUIDE DOSIMETRY DATA ON MICE, IN VIVO, 2.5 - 4.2 GHZ

Unknown authors

Researchers used a normalizing waveguide reflectometer with less than 1 mW output power to measure reflection, transmission, and absorption in a WR 284 waveguide for anesthetized mice weighing 5.30 to 16.32 grams and measuring 4.5 to 7.7 centimeters in length over 2.5 to 4.2 GHz. Mice were positioned centrally in the waveguide with their length parallel to the propagation direction facing the incident wave. Absorption did not appear to change for up to 5 hours after death across the frequency range. From 24 mice, resonant frequency correlated with length (f = 6.084 - 0.419l, r=0.987) and weight (f = 4.679 - 0.1266w, r=0.952). SAR values showed increased slope through resonance and normalized SARs were consistent with literature values at 2.45 GHz.

ASSESSMENT OF THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATION

Joseph M. Lary, David L. Conover, William E. Murray

The authors reviewed and critically evaluated the radiofrequency biological effects literature through 1982. The review indicated that there appears to be a threshold for adverse biological effects in animals at a specific absorption rate of about 2 W/kg. At SARs between 1.8 and 4.5 W/kg, adverse effects included death, temperature increases exceeding 3%, hemorrhagic lesions, staggering and spasms in chicks, and extreme agitation in dogs. At SARs below 1.8 W/kg no clearly adverse effects were reported, but measurable temperature increases and physiological changes occurred in the 0.17 to 1.8 W/kg range. At SARs below 0.17 W/kg no temperature increases were reported and most effects involved calcium efflux or blood-brain barrier permeability.

A THERMAL MODEL OF THE HUMAN BODY EXPOSED TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

D.M. Deffenbaugh, R.J. Spiegel, J.R. Mann

Researchers modeled the human body numerically to determine thermal response under varied electromagnetic exposures by modifying heat transfer equations to account for absorbed electromagnetic energy. The body was represented as cylindrical segments sized to statistical 2.5%, 50%, and 97.5% anthropometry, and the combined code output temperatures at 61 discrete locations plus thermoregulatory responses such as vasoconstriction, vasodilation, shivering, and sweating. In a typical simulation at 80 MHz with 10 mW/cm² incident power, a hot spot appeared in the lower thigh, and at power levels above about 20 mW/cm² core temperatures rose uncontrollably, indicating failure of protective heat control mechanisms.

A Review of United States Microwave Exposure Criteria

Vernon E. Rose et al.

Early standards treated 10 mw/cm2 as a maximum permissible level that should not be exceeded and considered only power density. Later standards introduced time-weighted exposure concepts allowing levels above 10 mw/cm2 for limited durations. The 1966 USASI standard set a protection guide at 10 mw/cm2 averaged over 0.1 hour and used an energy density of 1 mwh/cm2 for shorter periods.

Whole Body / General
Not an original health-effects study

NOTICE - Possible Instrument Measurement Error Source

Unknown authors

The notice describes a possible radio frequency interference problem where oven leakage fields enter the readout box and may cause erroneous readings. Users should keep the readout box as far from the microwave oven and its leakage fields as possible by keeping the cable extended. Calibration is generally needed only once a year, not every six months, unless probe damage or instrument defect is suspected.

A Simplified Analog Storage and Averaging System for Electroencephalographic Responses

John F. Davis et al.

The system records the stimulation series and EEG responses on tape, forms the tape into a loop, and plays it through a gated integrator to plot the averaged response amplitude at selected time points. With recording at 33 ¼ ips and play- back at 15 ips, the analysis proceeds at four times the speed of the original experiment. However, since as many as one hundred points may have to be plotted, the analysis can still run to several hours. At present, the speed ratio is limited to 4:1 by considerations of transient response and information bandwidth.

SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE EVALUATION GROUP

Roger Budd, Przemyslaw Czerski, LeRoy W. Schroeder

Researchers infected African green monkey kidney cells with herpes simplex virus and exposed them to a pulsed electromagnetic field for varying periods up to 48 hours. After 48 hours, they counted viral plaques and measured plaque size. Two experiments found no statistically significant differences in plaque numbers between exposed and control cultures. An initial suggestion of larger plaques in longer exposures was not confirmed in a second experiment with more uniform cell monolayers. The authors concluded that the screening system did not detect a biological effect of the pulsed electromagnetic field, though the device has been shown to affect immune cell functions in other studies.

The Dielectric Behavior of Aqueous Solutions of Bovine Serum Albumin from Radio Wave to Microwave Frequencies

Edward H. Grant, Susan E. Keefe, Shin Takashima

The study investigated the dielectric behavior of bovine serum albumin. Measurements were made from 200 MHz to 10,000 MHz at pH values 3.5, 4.5, 7.0, and 8.5 and concentrations ranging from 0.78 to 21%. A dielectric mixture theory was used to estimate the amount of bound water as a function of concentration and pH.

ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTION WITH HUMAN PHANTOM MODELS; APPLICATIONS TO MOBILE RADIOS

Unknown authors

Researchers performed transient thermographic measurements on a full-size human head phantom filled with muscle-equivalent material, irradiated by a quarter-wave monopole antenna excited at 100 watts and 456.65 MHz. The maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) occurred when the antenna tip was at the bridge or tip of the nose, while a flat surface like the forehead reduced peak SAR to about one-third of the maximum. Thermal diffusion corrections applied to data at one-inch antenna-to-model spacing yielded a peak SAR of about 200 W/kg in a small superficial region at the bridge of the nose.

EFFECTS ON THE EYE

John C. Mitchell

Experimental studies showed that lens opacities developed when intraocular temperatures reached 45-55°C, with a threshold around 100-150 mW/cm² applied for 60-100 minutes. The review found no cumulative effect from repeated EMR exposures unless each single exposure caused irreparable injury. Retrospective studies of radar operators and microwave workers found no increased cataract incidence or risk. The authors concluded that heat alone is responsible for lens damage following single high-intensity EMR exposures, based on hypothermic studies showing no cataracts under cooling.

Learn More

For a comprehensive exploration of EMF health effects including whole body / general, along with practical protection strategies, explore these books by R Blank and Dr. Martin Blank.

FAQs: EMF & Whole Body / General

When 95% of nearly 3,800 peer-reviewed studies document biological effects from electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, we're looking at a weight of evidence that demands attention. This isn't fringe science or industry speculation-it's the consistent finding across independent research examining how radiofrequency radiation, extremely low frequency fields, and other non-ionizing EMF sources interact with human physiology.
The SYB Research Database includes 2,429 peer-reviewed studies examining the relationship between electromagnetic field exposure and whole body / general. These studies have been conducted by researchers worldwide and published in scientific journals. The research spans multiple decades and includes various types of EMF sources including cell phones, WiFi, power lines, and other common sources of electromagnetic radiation.
93% of the 2,429 studies examining whole body / general found measurable biological effects from EMF exposure. This means that 2257 studies documented observable changes in biological systems when exposed to electromagnetic fields. The remaining 7% either found no significant effects or had inconclusive results, which is typical in scientific research where study design and exposure parameters vary.