Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Failure of chronic exposure to nonthermal FM radio waves to mutate Drosophila med./bio.

By: Mittler S
Published in: J Hered 1977; 68 (4): 257-258
Download citation in RIS format

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To assess whether radio waves used for transmissional purposes are a mutagenic hazard, an experiment was designed in which Drosophila were chronically exposed to radio waves.

Background/further details

A mating scheme was utilized in which the X chromosome to be treated is passed only from mother to daughter, and thus this X chromosome could accumulate lethals that would otherwise be fatal in the male.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 98.5 MHz
Exposure duration: 32 weeks, 134 h/week (4020h in total )

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 98.5 MHz
Type
Exposure duration 32 weeks, 134 h/week (4020h in total )
Modulation
Modulation type unspecified
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Distance between exposed object and exposure source 45 m
Setup Strains were placed in a radio transmitter building, which was 45 m from the base of a 300 ft antenna tower.
Additional info Control strains were kept in the Drosophila laboratory.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
electric field strength 3 mV/cm unspecified measured - at the site where the flies were kept.

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

There was no significant difference in the percentage of lethals between the stock exposed 4020 hours of non-thermal FM radio waves and the controls.

Study character: