ID Number		524
Study Type		In Vivo
Model		Long-term 970 MHz and 9.70 GHz exposure to rats and analysis of mortality and pathology.
Details		AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Adang et al. 2009 (#5098): This paper summarizes the results of experimental research on biological effects induced by electromagnetic exposure to low-level microwaves. We exposed four-month-old Wistar albino rats during 21 months to two different microwave frequencies and exposure modes, 2 h a day, seven days a week. In order to assess possible biological effects of microwaves, we selected among others the following parameters: leucocytes, erythrocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and mortality rate. After three and eight months of exposure, we found a statistically significant difference of about 20% between the 970-MHz continuous wave group and sham-exposed group regarding the monocytes in both considered periods. After 14 and 18 months of exposure, we observed a significant increase in white blood cells and neutrophils of about 15% and 25%, respectively. Lymphocytes fell down after 18 months of exposure with about 15% compared to the sham-exposed group. No other statistically significant differences were found, except for minor changes with little biological significance. The most obvious effect we detected is the increase in mortality rate of the exposed groups with respect to the sham-exposed group after 21 months of exposure at the age of 25 months. This increase even increases when observing rats until the age of 28 months: mortality in exposed groups then reaches almost twice the value observed in the sham-exposed group. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: van Rongen et al. 2011 (#5099): In a recent publication in this TRANSACTIONS, Adang et al. concluded that long-term exposure to RF electromagnetic fields may have effects on survival and on blood parameters in rats. The Electromagnetic Fields Committee of the Health Council of The Netherlands disputes this conclusion.
Findings		Effects (poor study design)
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium - Dirk.Adang@omra.rma.ac.be
Funding Agency		Ministry of Defence, Belgium
Country		BELGIUM
References		Adang, D et al. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES., (2009) 57:2488-2497 van Rongen, E et al. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES., (2011) 59:1893-1894
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