Proliferation and cytogenetic studies in human blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to 2450 MHz radiofrequency radiation.

Vijayalaxmi, Mohan N, Meltz ML, Wittler MA

Int J Radiat Biol 72(6):751-757, 1997

Aliquots of human peripheral blood collected from two healthy human volunteers were exposed in vitro to continuous wave 2450 MHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR), either continuously for a period of 90 min or intermittently for a total exposure period of 90 min (30 min on and 30 min off, repeated three times). Blood aliquots which were sham-exposed or exposed in vitro to 150 cGy gamma radiation served as controls.

The continuous wave 2450 MHz RFR was generated with a net forward power of 34.5 W and transmitted from a standard gain rectangular antenna horn in a vertically downward direction. The mean power density at the position of the cells was 5.0 mW/cm². The mean specific absorption rate calculated by Finite Difference Time Domain analysis was 12.46 W/kg. Immediately after exposure, lymphocytes were cultured for 48 and 72 h to determine the incidence of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei, respectively. Proliferation indices were also recorded.

There were no significant differences between RFR-exposed and sham-exposed lymphocytes with respect to; (a) mitotic indices; (b) incidence of cells showing chromosome damage; (c) exchange aberrations; (d) acentric fragments; (e) binucleate lymphocytes, and (f) micronuclei, for either the continuous or intermittent RFR exposures. In contrast, the response of positive control cells exposed to 150 cGy gamma radiation was significantly different from RFR-exposed and sham-exposed lymphocytes.

Thus, there is no evidence for an effect on mitogen-stimulated proliferation kinetics or for excess genotoxicity within 72 h in human blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to 2450 MHz RFR.