CLASTOGENIC EFFECTS OF RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATIONS ON CHROMOSOMES OF TRADESCANTIA

The clastogenicity of electromagnetic fields (EMF) has so far been stu died only under laboratory conditions. We used the Tradescantia-micron ucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassay in an in situ experiment to find out whethe r short-wave electromagnetic fields used for broadcasting (10-21 MHz) may show genotoxic effects. Plant cuttings bearing young flower buds w ere exposed (30 h) on both sides of a slewable curtain antenna (300/50 0 kW, 40-170 V/m) and 15 m (90 V/m) and 30 m (70 V/m) distant from a V ertical cage antenna (100 kW) as well as at the neighbors living near the broadcasting station (200 m, 1-3 V/m). The exposure at both sides of the slewable curtain antenna was performed simultaneously within ca ges, one of the Faraday type shielding the field and one non-shielding mesh cage. Laboratory controls were maintained for comparison. Higher MCN frequencies than in laboratory controls were found for air exposu re sites in the immediate vicinity of the antennae, where the exposure standards of the electric field strength of the International Radiati on Protection Association (IRPA) were exceeded. The results at all exp osure sites except one were statistically significant. Since the paral lel exposure in a non-shielding and a shielding cage also revealed sig nificant differences in MCN frequencies (the latter showing no signifi cant differences from laboratory controls), the clastogenic effects ar e clearly attributable to the short-wave radiation from the antennae.