To study the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic irradiation at 900 MHz (emitted by GSM mobile phones) and at 1800 MHz (emitted by DCS mobile phones) on reproductive capacity of the insect Drosophila melanogaster and the dependency of the effect of electromagnetic field intensity (distance from antenna). If a decrease in the reproductive capacity would be found (at smaller intensities than in previous studies: Panagopoulos 2004, Panagopoulos 2007a, Panagopoulos 2007b), the further aim of this study should be to confirm whether again the decrease is caused by cell death during the early and mid stages of oogenesis.
There were 13 exposure groups: group 1 was exposed to 900 MHz or 1800 MHz with the antenna in contact with the glass vial containing flies; group 2 was exposed to 900 MHz or 1800 MHz with the antenna of the mobile phone at 1 cm distance from the vial; group 3 was exposed to 900 MHz or 1800 MHz with the antenna of the mobile phone at 10 cm distance from the vial. The fourth group was exposed to 900 MHz or 1800 MHz with the antenna of the mobile phone at 20 cm distance from the vial, ect. (group 12 had a distance of 100 cm). Group 13 was sham exposed.
Each group consisted of ten female and ten male newly emerged flies kept in separate vials for the first 48 h. After the 48 h, when both males and females of each group were sexually mature, they were put together (10 pairs) in another glass vial and they were allowed to mate and lay eggs for the next 72 h.
For cell death investigation ovarioles were investigated (background information about ovarioles, see Panagopoulos 2007b).
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
900 MHz
Exposure duration:
continuous for 6 min/day on 6 days
|
|
|
Exposure 2:
1,800 MHz
Exposure duration:
continuous for 6 min/day on 6 days
|
|
| Frequency | 900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | continuous for 6 min/day on 6 days |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Setup | commercially available dual band GSM mobile phone used in speaking mode in a distance of 0 cm up to 100 cm from the vial containing the flies |
| Sham exposure | A sham exposure was conducted. |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAR | 0.89 W/kg | maximum | - | cf. remarks | manufacturer's information for the human head |
| power density | 0.378 mW/cm² | maximum | - | - | +/ 0.059 mW/cm² at a distance of 0 cm from the phone's antenna |
| power density | 0.0004 mW/cm² | minimum | - | - | +/ 0.0001 mW/cm² at a distance of 100 cm from the phone's antenna |
| electric field strength | 19 V/m | maximum | - | - | +/ 2.5 V/m at a distance of 0 cm from the phone's antenna |
| electric field strength | 0.1 V/m | minimum | - | - | +/ 0.02 V/m at a distance of 50 cm from the phone's antenna |
| magnetic flux density | 0.09 µT | maximum | - | - | +/ 0.015 µT at a distance of 0 cm from the phone's antenna |
| magnetic flux density | 0.005 µT | minimum | - | - | +/ 0.001 µT at a distance of 40 cm from the phone's antenna |
| Frequency | 1,800 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | continuous for 6 min/day on 6 days |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Sham exposure | A sham exposure was conducted. |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAR | 0.89 W/kg | maximum | - | cf. remarks | manufacturer's information for the human head |
| power density | 0.252 mW/cm² | maximum | - | - | +/ 0.05 mW/cm² at a distance of 0 cm from the phone's antenna |
| power density | 0.0002 mW/cm² | minimum | - | - | +/ 0.0001 mW/cm² at a distance of 100 cm from the phone's antenna |
| electric field strength | 13 V/m | maximum | - | - | +/ 2.1 V/m at a distance of 0 cm from the phone's antenna |
| electric field strength | 0.1 V/m | minimum | - | - | +/ 0.04 V/m at a distance of 40 cm from the phone's antenna |
| magnetic flux density | 0.06 µT | maximum | - | - | +/ 0.008 µT at a distance of 0 cm from the phone's antenna |
| magnetic flux density | 0.006 µT | minimum | - | - | +/ 0.001 µT at a distance of 30 cm from the phone's antenna |
The electromagnetic field exposures decreased the reproductive capacity by cell death induction at all the different distances tested. The effect diminished with the distance from the antenna (decreasing intensities). An increased bioactivity "window" (window effect) was revealed at distances of 20-30 cm from the mobile phone antenna, (intensity around 10 µW/cm²) where the effect became highest, in relation to smaller or longer distances. The effect diminished considerably for distances longer than 40-50 cm and became not evident for distances longer than 1 m or intensities smaller than 1 µW/cm².
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