Biological effects of chronic exposure to high power microwaves in rats

René de Seze (1) , Laura Caplier (2) , Ismahane Guimiot (1) , Mohamed Ammari (1, 3) , Carole Hernandez (4) , Emilie Bourrel (4) , Christelle Gamez (1) , Franck Robidel (1) , Olivier Dupont (1) , Anthony Lecomte (1) , Jean-Jacques Fontaine (2) , Caroline Fonta (4)

1 INERIS - Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques
2 Département des Sciences Biologiques et Pharmaceutiques / Unité d'Embryologie, Histologie et Anatomie Pathologique
3 Laboratoire de Physiologie Intégrée
4 CERCO - Centre de recherche cerveau et cognition

This work evaluated health hazards from high power microwaves (HPM). Rats were exposed under single and repetitive conditions for 8 weeks. Electric field impulses (1MV/m) of nanosecond duration were applied at 3.8 GHz, with some residual X-rays. Survival time was measured after repeated exposure. Earlier effects were studied by performing behavioral tests: rotarod, T-maze, and beam-walking. Acute effects have also been studied on the Glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) expression, on avoidance and open-field tests. A 4-month life decrease happened in exposed animals, with some exhibiting a large superficial tumor. The SAR (0.8 W/kg) was not thermal, and the mechanisms need to be explored.

Keywords: IMPULSION; MICROONDES; CANCER; CHRONIQUE

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Toxicology; Environmental Sciences

René de Seze, Laura Caplier, Ismahane Guimiot, Mohamed Ammari, Carole Hernandez, et al.. Biological effects of chronic exposure to high power microwaves in rats. 32. Bioelectromagnetics Society Annual Meeting (BEMS 2010), Jun 2010, Séoul, South Korea. ⟨ineris-00970637⟩