Abstract

Overview

This study, supported by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, was designed to identify potential health hazards from non-thermal levels of radiofrequency (RF) exposure using predictive laboratory animal models such as Sprague-Dawley rats and B6C3F1 mice.

Findings

• Initial five-day pilot studies determined the maximum Specific Absorption Ratios (SARs) that juvenile, adult, and pregnant rodents can withstand without a significant increase in body temperature.
• A subsequent ten-week subchronic toxicity study showed no significant effects of RF on survival, body weight, clinical signs, hematology, or pathology.
• The critical part of the research, the two-year study, indicated that male rats exposed to RF had significantly increased incidences of glioma and schwannoma compared to controls. These increases were not observed in female rats or either sex of mice.

Conclusion

The findings suggest a potential species and sex-specific increase in neoplasia in response to RF exposure. This raises concerns about the risks of non-thermal RF exposure from mobile devices. Considering the mixed results from other epidemiological studies, this data is crucial for further "weight-of-the-evidence" evaluations of RF-related health risks.