Intermittent exposure of rats to 2450-MHz microwaves at 2. 5 MW cm sq: behavioral and physiological effects

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5193014

D'Andrea, J A; DeWitt, J R; Emmerson, R Y; Bailey, C; Stensaas, S

Long-Evans male adult rats were intermittently exposed for 14 weeks to continuous wave (c-w) 2450-MHz microwaves at an average power density of 2.5 mW/sq. cm. The mean specific absorption rate was 0.70 W/kg (plus or minus 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 group of rats.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Health Effects Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5193014
• Report Number(s): PB-88-177068/XAB; EPA-600/J-86/454
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Pub. in Bioelectromagnetics, No. 7, 315-328(1986)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
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GHZ RANGE 01-100
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