Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Genotoxic potential of 1.6 GHz wireless communication signal: in vivo two-year bioassay med./bio.

By: Vijayalaxmi, Sasser LB, Morris JE, Wilson BW, Anderson LE
Published in: Radiat Res 2003; 159 (4): 558-564
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Aim of study (acc. to editor)

To determine the extent of genotoxicity and the incidence of micronuclei in bone marrow cells of rats exposed to a 1.6 GHz signal.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 1.6 GHz
Exposure duration: 2 h/day, 7 days/week,starting on day 19 of gestation and lasting until the offspring reached an age of 3 weeks
  • power density: 0.33 mW/cm² (incident power in the cages)
  • SAR: 0.22 W/kg (0.10-0.22 W/kg at 0.2 mW/cm²)
  • SAR: 0.077 W/kg (0.036-0.077 W/kg)
Exposure 2: 1.6 GHz
Exposure duration: 2 h/day, 5 days/week, over 2 years, starting when the offspring from E1 reached an age of 35 days

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 1.6 GHz
Type
Charakteristic
Exposure duration 2 h/day, 7 days/week,starting on day 19 of gestation and lasting until the offspring reached an age of 3 weeks
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Chamber enclosure system with top and bottom plates as conductors, sides covered with RF-absorbing material; parallel plate conductors flared over a distance of 2.48 m to an aperture opening of 1.11 m x 2.11 m; rats placed in 45.7 cm x 24.1 cm x 20.3 cm cages inside the enclosure
Sham exposure A sham exposure was conducted.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
power density 0.33 mW/cm² - measured - incident power in the cages
SAR 0.22 W/kg - measured and calculated brain 0.10-0.22 W/kg at 0.2 mW/cm²
SAR 0.077 W/kg - calculated whole body 0.036-0.077 W/kg
Measurement and calculation details

The dosimetry calculations were carried out using proprietary FDTD code and the USAF rat model (for brain SAR). Direct measurements made in the brains of freshly killed rats agreed very well with the FDTD modelling results.

Exposure 2

Main characteristics
Frequency 1.6 GHz
Type
Charakteristic
Exposure duration 2 h/day, 5 days/week, over 2 years, starting when the offspring from E1 reached an age of 35 days
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Chamber radial transmission line (RTL) facility with nine partially shielded enclosure units, each containing two acrylic carousels (91.4 cm diameter) one stacked above the other; each carousel had the capacity for simultaneous exposure of 10 rats placed around a central sleeved-dipole antenna; rats placed in individual PVC tubes for near-field, head-only exposure
Sham exposure A sham exposure was conducted.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
power 0.055 W - measured - 0.048-0.055 W incident antenna power
SAR 0.16 W/kg - measured and calculated brain -
power 0.55 W - measured - 0.48-0.55 W incident antenna power
SAR 1.6 W/kg - measured and calculated brain -

Reference articles

  • Wilson BW et al. (2002): Space efficient system for small animal, whole body microwave exposure at 1.6 GHz
  • Moros EG et al. (1998): A compact shielded exposure system for the simultaneous long-term UHF irradiation of forty small mammals: I. Electromagnetic and environmental design

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The data did not indicate a genotoxic potential of chronic exposure to 1.6 GHz radiofrequency (RF) radiation.The extent of genotoxicity (determined from incidence of micronuclei/2000polychromatic erythrocytes) was not significantly different between RF-radiation-exposed rats and sham-exposed controls or cage control rats.

Study character:

Study funded by

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