Investigation of Radiofrequency Radiation Effects on Excitable Tissues.
Abstract
Spheroidal aggregates of cultured chick cardiac cells were used to study effects of 2450-MHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on excitable membranes. Rhythmically beating aggregates under normal culture conditions were exposed to known amounts of RFR energy in a specially developed open-ended coaxial device. Exposure level was given in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in mW/g. Short-term recordings with intracellular electrodes suggested that increased variability in beat rate and in action potential maximum upstroke velocity occurred in the range of 10-40 mW/g for continuous wave (CW) RFR and RFR modulated as 10.9-microsecond pulses at 10,000 pps (PW). Long-term recordings with extracellular electrodes and video imaging were used to gather interbeat interval (IBI) data for computing mean IBI and coefficient of variation (CV). Three-minute exposures to CW and PW RFR and to RFR square-wave modulated at 1.6 or 16 Hz were made for SARs between 1.2 and 85.5 mW/g. Decreases in mean IBI during exposure for SARs greater than 30 mW/g closely matched those expected from induced temperature rises. However, IBI changes at smaller SARs, including an increase at 1.2 mW/g, were not fully explained by temperature changes. Small changes in CV occurred during exposure and were similar to those during sham exposures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 31, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA109813
Entities
People
- E. C. Burdette
- R. L. Dehaan
- R. L. Seaman
Organizations
- Georgia Tech