Biological Effects in Rodents Exposed to Pulsed Electromagnetic Radiation

Résumé du livre

Rodents were exposed to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) radiation to test the hypothesis that rapid changes in electric and magnetic fields would induce injuries in biological systems with high cell turnover rates. It was observed that the reticulocyte count in exposed rats was nearly always greater than in approximately 1 hour daily for biological sampling and animal care during 20 weeks. Biological assays were periodically conducted in exposed and nonexposed animals at appropriate intervals. It was observed that the reticulocyte count in exposed rats was nearly always greater than in nonexposed. However, there were no concomitant differences in peripheral erythrocyte counts between the two groups, nor did radioactive iron incorporation indicate increased cellular production in the irradiated group. Levels or relative counts of circulating leukocytes did not differ between the two groups. Platelet counts in exposed rats occasionally were decreased below those in the nonexposed. Bone marrow cellularity was not different between the two groups. Preliminary analysis of chromosomes showed no detectable increases of defects. Routine chemical analysis of blood demonstrated similar values in the two groups. Observations of fetuses from pregnant rats showed no abnormalities. The present experiment utilizing the above-described physical parameters represented a condition exceeding by several orders of magnitude that normally encountered by humans who operate EMP facilities. Exposures of rodents under these conditions indicated no apparent acute injuries. A tentative prediction can be made that humans exposed to EMP in industrial situations would show no acute biological injuries. (Modified author abstract).