Results of a United States and Soviet Union joint project on nervous system effects of microwave radiation.

Abstract

During the course of a formal program of cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning the biological effects of physical factors in the environment, it was concluded that duplicate projects should be initiated with the general goal of determining the most sensitive and valid test procedures for evaluating the effects of microwave radiation on the central nervous system. This report details an initial step in this direction. Male rats of the Fischer 344 strain were exposed or sham exposed to 10 mW/cm2 continuous wave microwave radiation at 2.45 GHz for a period of 7 hr. Animals were subjected to behavioral, biochemical, or electrophysiological measurements during and/or immediately after exposure. Behavioral tests used were passive avoidance and activity in an open field. Biochemical measurements were ATPase (Na+, K+; Mg2+, Ca2+) and K+ alkaline phosphatase activities. Electrophysiological measurements consisted of EEG frequency analysis. Neither group observed a significant effect of microwave irradiation on open field activity. Both groups observed changes in variability of the data obtained using the passive avoidance procedure, but not in the same parameters. The U.S. group, but not the USSR group, found significantly less Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the microwave-exposed animals compared to the sham exposed animals. Both groups found incidences of statistically significant effects in the power spectral analysis of EEG frequency, but not at the same frequency. The failure of both groups to substantiate the results of the other reinforces our contention that such duplicate projects are important and necessary.ImagesFIGURE 3.FIGURE 4.

Neural Network-Based Evaluation of Chronic Non-Thermal Effects of Modulated 2450 MHz Microwave Radiation on Electroencephalogram

“…The changes analyzed in this study for brain signals in different sleep-wake states are found in agreement with previous published reports. 10,12,23,33,50 However, from literature review, it is evident that the changes in EEG frequencies are highly dependent on the exposure frequency, time of exposure, and the modulation frequency. Thus, in these conditions, the findings of the present study for EEG power spectrum analysis are unique.…”

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields: Carcinogenic and Other Biological Effects

“…Stricter regulations limiting professional exposures to EMF in the fSU than in the US have been partly based on such reports [89]. Admittedly, some results could not be reproduced [90][91][92]. Certain experiments have been doubtful, for example, irradiation of eggs in an incubator by a static MP resulted in increased embryonic mortality.…”

Effects of electromagnetic radiation of mobile phones on the central nervous system

“…In a second experiment of the same group, 16 Hz amplitude modulated microwave (4 GHz) increased EEG beta activity already at SAR 8.4 W/kg, [Thuroczy et al, 1994], but as this intensity is still above the thermal threshold, arousal effects cannot be excluded. In a joint project in the USA and the former Soviet Union, EEG power spectra were recorded in rats submitted to continuous 2.45 GHz microwaves for 7 h (whole body SAR 2.7 W/kg) [Mitchell et al, 1989]. Although both groups reported incidences of statistically significant effects, changes did not affect the same frequency bands and, therefore, were considered to be unreliable [Mitchell et al, 1989].…”

“…In a joint project in the USA and the former Soviet Union, EEG power spectra were recorded in rats submitted to continuous 2.45 GHz microwaves for 7 h (whole body SAR 2.7 W/kg) [Mitchell et al, 1989]. Although both groups reported incidences of statistically significant effects, changes did not affect the same frequency bands and, therefore, were considered to be unreliable [Mitchell et al, 1989]. These data suggest that in animal experiments EEG activity changes little as long as microwave exposure remains in the nonthermal range.…”