Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Physiological and behavioral effects of chronic exposure to 2450-MHz microwaves med./bio.

By: D'Andrea JA, Gandhi OP, Lords JL, Durney CH, Johnson CC, Astle L
Published in: J Microw Power 1979; 14 (4): 351-362
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Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study physiological and behavioral effects of chronic exposure to 2450 MHz microwaves on rats.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 2.45 GHz
Modulation type: CW
Exposure duration: repeated daily exposure, 8h/day, 5days/week for a total of 640 h

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 2.45 GHz
Type
Charakteristic
  • guided field
Exposure duration repeated daily exposure, 8h/day, 5days/week for a total of 640 h
Modulation
Modulation type CW
Exposure setup
Exposure source
  • monopole
Chamber Anechoic chamber 3.5 x 3.5 x 2.75 m divided into identical halves by two partitions covered with 0.32 cm thick aluminum sheet. These partitions served as ground planes for the two halves of the exposure chamber on which two monopole antennas were mounted. Other interior surfaces of the chamber were lined with pyramidal shaped Eccosorb absorber. Styrofoam supports, located 90 cm from the antenna, were mounted on the aluminum ground plane which held the plastic rat holding cages. Sham chamber had identical dimensions but was insulated with 2.5 cm thick Styrofoam sheet.
Additional info The electric field was parallel to the long axis of the holding cage and of the rat.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
power density 5 mW/cm² mean measured - -
SAR 1.23 mW/g mean measured and calculated whole body -
Measurement and calculation details

Power densities were measured with Narda field probe. SAR determined by calorimetry.

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Investigated organ system:
Time of investigation:
  • during exposure
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Daily measures of body mass and of food and water intakes indicated no statistically significant effects of microwave exposure. Biweekly stabilimetric tests immediately after irradiation revealed a significant depression of behavioral activity by exposed animals as compared with sham-exposed animals.
Measures of locomotor activity based on revolutions of a running wheel, which were obtained during 12-h periods between each 8-h irradiation, showed no significant effect of exposure.
Blood sampled after 2, 6, 10, and 14 weeks of irradiation indicated slight alterations of sulfhydryl groups, and of red and white blood cell counts. Measures of levels of 17-ketosteroids in urine at weeks 1, 5, 9, and 12 of irradiation, and mass of adrenals, heart, and liver at the end of the sixteen-week period of exposure, showed no indications of stress.

Study character:

Study funded by

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