Premium
Lack of behavioral effects in the rhesus monkey: High peak microwave pulses at 1.3 GHz
Author(s) -
D'Andrea John A.,
Cobb Brenda L.,
de Lorge John O.
Publication year - 1989
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.2250100107
Subject(s) - microwave , pulse repetition frequency , pulse (music) , microwave irradiation , schedule , materials science , audiology , irradiation , biomedical engineering , medicine , optics , physics , telecommunications , computer science , radar , detector , nuclear physics , operating system
The current safety standards for radiofrequency and microwave exposure do not limit the peak power of microwave pulses for general or occupational exposures. While some biological effects, primarily the auditory effect, depend on pulsed microwaves, hazards associated with very high peak‐power microwave pulses in the absence of whole‐body heating are unknown. Five rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta , were exposed to peak‐power densities of 131.8 W/cm 2 (RMS) while performing a time‐related behavioral task. The task was composed of a multiple schedule of reinforcement consisting of three distinct behavioral components: inter‐response time, time discrimination, and fixed interval. Trained monkeys performed the multiple schedule during exposure to 1.3‐GHz pulses at low pulse‐repetition rates (2–32 Hz). No significant change was observed in any behavior during irradiation as compared to sham‐irradiation sessions. Generalization of these findings to experimental results with higher peak‐power densities, other pulse rates, different carrier frequencies, or other behaviors is limited.