Title: Effects of exposure to a 60-kV/m, 60-Hz electric field on the social behavior of baboons

Abstract

The authors found in a previously reported study that exposure to a 30-kV/m, 60-Hz electric field had significant effects on the social behavior of baboons. However, it was not established whether or not the effects were related specifically to the 30-kV/m intensity of the field. A new experiment was conducted to determine whether or not exposure to a 60-Hz electric field at 60 kV/m would produce like changes in the baboons' social behavior. They exposed one group of eight male baboons to an electric field 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 6 weeks. A second group of eight animals was maintained under sham-exposure (control) conditions. Rates of performing on each of six categories of social behavior and on four categories of nonsocial behavior were used as criteria for comparing exposed with unexposed subjects and for within-group comparisons during three six-week experimental periods: Pre-Exposure, Exposure, and Post-Exposure. The results indicate that (1) during the exposure period, exposed animals exhibited statistically significant differences from controls in means of performance rates based on several behavioral categories; (2) across all three periods, within-group comparisons revealed that behaviors of exposed baboons were significantly affected by exposure to the electric field; (3) changesmore » in performance levels probably reflect a stress response to the electric field; and (4) the means of response rates of animals exposed at 60 kV/m were higher, but not double, those of animals exposed at 30 kV/m. As in the 30-kV/m experiment, animals exposed at 60 kV/m exhibited significant differences in performances of Passive Affinity, Tension, and Stereotypy. Mean rates of performing these categories were 122% (Passive Affinity), 48% (Tension), and 40% (Stereotypy) higher in the exposed group than in the control group during exposure to the 60-kV/m field.« less

Authors:

Easley, S P; Coelho, Jr, A M; Rogers, W R ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, TX (Unites States)

Publication Date:

Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI Identifier:

5942226

Resource Type:

Journal Article

Journal Name:

Bioelectromagnetics (New York); (United States)

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 12:6; Journal ID: ISSN 0197-8462

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BABOONS; BEHAVIOR; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE; ANIMALS; MAMMALS; MONKEYS; PRIMATES; VERTEBRATES; 560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects