THE LACK OF EFFECTS OF NONTHERMAL RF ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAT EMBRYOS GROWN IN CULTURE

Rat embryos (9.5 days old) were exposed for up to 36 h to various radi o frequency (RF) electric and magnetic fields (modulation frequency: 1 6, 60, 120 Hz; electric field strength: 60, 600 V/m; magnetic inductio n: 0.2, 2.0 mu T). A resonator technique was used to generate standing waves thus fulfilling three conditions: The site of maximum electric and magnetic oscillations could be separated, the field strengths were known exactly and a high homogeneity over the sample volume was achie ved. In each frequency region the transmitter power levels were set to give specific absorption rate (SAR) values spreading from far below t o far above the values met in the field of telecommunication (0.2, 1.0 and 5.0 W/kg). The criteria used to examine the embryos on day 11.5 f or possible structural effects consisted of a scoring system, photogra phs, histology using both light and electron microscopy and determinat ion of the protein content. All these data have been taken as sets of different intermediate frequency (IF) amplitude modulation of the RF c arriers. Neither the electric nor the magnetic fields tested interfere d significantly with the normal growth and differentiation of the embr yos in vitro.