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Intermittent exposure of rats to 2450 MHz microwaves at 2.5 mW cm 2 : Behavioral and physiological effects
Author(s) -
D'Andrea John A.,
Dewitt John R.,
Emmerson Rita Y.,
Bailey Cory,
Stensaas Suzanne,
Gandhi Om P.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.2250070308
Subject(s) - microwave , zoology , medicine , microwave irradiation , cholinesterase , anesthesia , chemistry , biology , physics , quantum mechanics
Long‐Evans male adult rats were intermittently exposed for 14 weeks to continuous wave (CW) 2450‐MHz microwaves at an average power density of 2.5 mW/cm 2 . The mean specific absorption rate was 0.70 W/kg (± 0.02 SEM). The rats were exposed 7 h/day, 7 days/week in a radiation chamber with a monopole above ground, while housed in Plexiglas cages. Weekly measures of body mass and food intake did not indicate statistically significant effects of microwave irradiation. Assessments of threshold for electric‐footshock detection revealed a significant difference between microwave and sham‐exposed animals. Assessments of cholinesterase and sulfhydryl groups in blood and 17‐ketosteriods in urine did not distinguish the two groups of rats. Behavioral measures made at the end of the 14‐week exposure included an open‐field test, shuttlebox avoidance performance, and schedule‐controlled lever‐pressing for food pellets. Statistically significant differences between microwave‐ and sham‐exposed rats were observed for these measures. Examination of adrenal tissue, plasma electrolytes, and organ masses after 14 weeks of exposure revealed no difference between the two groups of rats.