To investigate the effects of electromagnetic fields emitted from different sources on the reproduction of the fruit fly Drosophila spec..
In total, 280 experiments were conducted in which the exposure source, the distance between the source and fruit fly, and the duration were varied. Partially, different exposure sources were used simultaneously or consecutively (see "Field characteristics").
The experiment started with newly emerged flies in glass vials, males and females seperately, respectively. After three days, male and female flies were transferred into a common vial for mating. Exposure was performed with the start of the experiment (otherwise stated).
To assess the number of viable F1 pupae, parent flies were removed at the sixth day of exposure (or later if exposure lasted more than six days). The vials with the developing embryos were kept in a culture room to count the number of F1 pupae developed in every vial until day 22 of the experiment.
For detection of apoptosis in follicles, adult female flies were removed out of the vial five hours after the last exposure and anesthetized for removing the ovaries.
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
900 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
|
|
|
Exposure 2:
1,880–1,900 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
|
|
|
Exposure 3:
1,880–1,900 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
Exposure duration:
30 min daily for 5 days (D. melanogaster) or 30 min daily for 9 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae); 45 min daily for 4 days (D. virilis) (follicles)
DECT handset
|
|
|
Exposure 4:
2,400–2,483 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
|
|
|
Exposure 5:
2,400–2,480 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
|
|
|
Exposure 6:
92.8 MHz
Modulation type:
FM
|
|
| Exposure 7: 2,400–2,480 MHz |
|
|
Exposure 8:
900 MHz
Modulation type:
CW
Exposure duration:
20 min daily for 5 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae)
|
|
|
Exposure 9:
27.15 MHz
Exposure duration:
3 x 10 min with brakes of 10 min in between daily for 5 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae)
baby monitor
|
|
|
Exposure 10:
1,800–1,900 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
Exposure duration:
30 minutes daily DECT base station + 30 minutes daily mobile phone for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae); 30 minutes daily DECT base station + 30 minutes daily mobile phone for 4 days (D. melanogaster) (follicles)
|
|
|
Exposure 11:
1,880–1,900 MHz
Exposure duration:
30 min daily for 9 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae)
|
|
|
Exposure 12:
1,800–1,900 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
Exposure duration:
30 min daily DECT handset + 30 min daily mobile phone for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae); 30 min daily DECT handset + 30 min daily mobile phone for 4 days (D. melanogaster) (follicles)
|
|
|
Exposure 13:
900–2,480 MHz
Modulation type:
pulsed
|
|
|
Exposure 14:
900 MHz
Modulation type:
CW
Exposure duration:
6 min daily for 4 days (D. virilis) (follicles)
|
|
exposure took place in cylindrical glass vials of 2.5 cm diameter and 10 cm height
control flies were sham exposed in a Faraday cage and placed away from any emitting source.for; radiofrequency EF intensity was monitored inside this cage and found to be well below the normal background values; B-field extremely low frequency intensity was below 0.1 µT
| Frequency | 900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 6 or 12 minutes daily for 1 (3rd day of experiment only), or 3 days (D. virilis) (follicles); 6 minutes daily for 7 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae) |
| Additional info | GSM mobile phone |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Repetition frequency | 217 Hz |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 22 V/m | mean | measured | - | in a distance of 0 cm |
| electric field strength | 2 V/m | mean | measured | - | in a distance of 10 cm |
| electric field strength | 0.4 V/m | mean | measured | - | in a distance of 20 cm |
| SAR | 1.2 W/kg | - | - | - | according to manufacturer |
| Frequency | 1,880–1,900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 30 min daily for 5 days (D. melanogaster) or 9 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae); 30 min daily for 5 days (D. melanogaster) or 45 min daily for 4 days (D. virilis) (follicles) |
| Additional info | DECT base station |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Pulse width | 0.08 ms |
| Repetition frequency | 100 Hz |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Setup | voice simulation was performed via radio playing |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 2.7 V/m | mean | measured | - | - |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Pulse width | 0.38 ms |
| Repetition frequency | 100 Hz |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 2 V/m | mean | measured | - | - |
| electric field strength | 8 V/m | maximum | measured | - | - |
| Frequency | 2,400–2,483 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 30 min daily for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae); 30 min daily for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (follicles) |
| Additional info | bluetooth coupled with a GSM mobile phone during a call |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Pulse width | 400 ms |
| Repetition frequency | 133.3 Hz |
| Additional info |
bluetooth: pulse width 0.4 s; pulse repetition rate 133.3 Hz GSM mobile phone: pulse repetition rate 217 Hz |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Setup | vials were put roundly close to the bluetooth device, which was coupled with a mobile phone during a call (no voice simulation necessary) |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 0.3 V/m | mean | measured | - | bluetooth device |
| SAR | 1.2 W/kg | - | - | - | mobile phone, according to manufacturer |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Pulse width | 1 ms |
| Repetition frequency | 10 Hz |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Setup | vials were placed on top of the wireless router |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 2.1 V/m | mean | measured | - | - |
| Modulation type | FM |
|---|---|
| Modulation frequency | 20 kHz |
| Exposure source |
|---|
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 13 V/m | mean | measured | - | - |
| Frequency | 2,400–2,480 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 10 min daily for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae); 10 min daily for 4 days (D. melanogaster) (follicles) |
| Additional info | microwave oven |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Distance between exposed object and exposure source | 15 cm |
| Setup | glass vials with flies were 15 cm away from the oven; microwave oven under normal operating conditions (no food inside); voice simulation was performed via radio playing; for some experiments, the microwave oven was put in a Faraday cage which resulted in a reduced electrical field |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 10 V/m | mean | measured | - | during normal operation |
| magnetic flux density | 10 µT | - | - | - | 50 Hz magnetic field from power supply |
| electric field strength | 3 V/m | mean | measured | - | microwave oven within a Faraday cage |
| Modulation type | CW |
|---|
| Exposure source |
|
|---|
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 20 V/m | mean | measured | - | - |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 20 V/m | mean | measured | - | - |
| Frequency | 1,800–1,900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 30 minutes daily DECT base station + 30 minutes daily mobile phone for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae); 30 minutes daily DECT base station + 30 minutes daily mobile phone for 4 days (D. melanogaster) (follicles) |
| Additional info | DECT base station and GSM mobile phone (consecutively) |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Pulse width | 0.08 ms |
| Repetition frequency | 100 Hz |
| Additional info |
DECT base station: pulse width 0.08 ms; pulse repetition rate 100 Hz GSM mobile phone: pulse repetition rate 217 Hz |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Setup | voice simulation was performed via radio playing |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 22 V/m | mean | measured | - | mobile phone |
| electric field strength | 2.7 V/m | mean | measured | - | DECT base station |
| SAR | 1.2 W/kg | - | - | - | mobile phone, according to manufacturer |
| Frequency | 1,880–1,900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 30 min daily for 9 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae) |
| Additional info | DECT base station and DECT handset (simultaneously) |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Setup | voice simulation was performed via radio playing |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 2 V/m | mean | measured | - | DECT handset |
| electric field strength | 2.7 V/m | mean | measured | - | DECT base station |
| Frequency | 1,800–1,900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 30 min daily DECT handset + 30 min daily mobile phone for 6 days (D. melanogaster) (F1 pupae); 30 min daily DECT handset + 30 min daily mobile phone for 4 days (D. melanogaster) (follicles) |
| Additional info | DECT handset and GSM mobile phone (consecutively) |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Repetition frequency | 100 Hz |
| Additional info |
GSM mobile phone: pulse repetition rate 217 Hz DECT handset: pulse repetition rate 100 Hz |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Setup | voice simulation was performed via radio playing |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 2 V/m | mean | measured | - | DECT-handset |
| electric field strength | 22 V/m | mean | measured | - | mobile phone |
| SAR | 1.2 W/kg | - | - | - | mobile phone, according to manufacturer |
| Frequency | 900–2,480 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 30 min daily for 9 days (D. virilis) (F1 pupae); 30 min daily for 7 days (D. virilis) (follicles) |
| Additional info | bluetooth and GSM mobile phone (simultaneously) |
| Modulation type | pulsed |
|---|---|
| Pulse width | 400 ms |
| Repetition frequency | 133.3 Hz |
| Additional info |
GSM mobile phone: pulse repetition rate 217 Hz bluetooth: pulse width 0.4 s; pulse repetition rate 133.3 Hz |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Setup | voice simulation was performed via radio playing |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 0.3 V/m | mean | measured | - | bluetooth device |
| electric field strength | 12 V/m | mean | measured | - | mobile phone |
| SAR | 1.2 W/kg | - | - | - | mobile phone, according to manufacturer |
| Frequency | 900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 6 min daily for 4 days (D. virilis) (follicles) |
| Additional info | CW and GSM mobile phone (simultaneously) |
| Modulation type | CW |
|---|---|
| Additional info |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Setup | voice simulation was performed via radio playing |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 20 V/m | mean | measured | - | CW |
| electric field strength | 22 V/m | mean | measured | - | mobile phone |
| SAR | 1.2 W/kg | - | - | - | mobile phone, according to manufacturer |
In fruit flies exposed to an electromagnetic field (all sources), significant more apoptotic follicles were found in comparison to the unexposed control. Additionally, the number of viable F1 pupae was significantly decreased after exposure to the diverse electromagnetic field sources when compared to the control group. However, no cumulative effect was found when exposure duration was increased or different exposure sources were used one after the other.
The authors conclude that electromagnetic fields emitted from different sources could impair the reproduction of the fruit fly Drosophila spec..
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