Behavioral effects of chronic exposure to 0. 5 mW/cm/sup 2/ of 2450-MHz microwaves
Adult male, Long-Evans rats were exposed 7 h a day for 90 days to continuous wave (CW) 2450-MHz microwaves at an average power density of 0.5 mW/cm/sup 2/. Exposures were in a monopole-above-ground radiation chamber with rats in Plexiglas cages. The resulting specific absorption rate (SAR) was 0.14 W/kg (+/- 0.01 SEM). Additional rats served as sham-exposed and home-caged controls. All were evaluated daily for body mass and food and water intakes. Once each 30 days, throughout baseline and exposure phases of the experiment, rats in the sham- and microwave-exposed groups were tested for their sensitivity to footshock. After 90-days of exposure, the rats were evaluated an open field, an active avoidance task and an operant task for food reinforcement. Performance of sham- and microwave-irradiated rats was reliably different on only one measure, the lever-pressing task. The general conclusion reached was that exposure to CW 2450-MHz microwave radiation at 0.5 mW/cm/sup 2/ was below the threshold for behavioral effects over a wide range of variables, but did have an effect on a time-related operant task, although the direction of the effect was unpredictable.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City
- OSTI ID:
- 6121161
- Journal Information:
- Bioelectromagnetics (N.Y.); (United States), Vol. 8:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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