OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) on pregnant mice and development of offsprings.

METHODSFemale mice were exposed to 50 Hz, 1.2 mT electromagnetic fields during the whole pregnant period (8 h/d). The body weight of dams, delivery and development of offsprings were observed and measured.

RESULTSThe increase of body weight of exposed dams (29.0%) was significantly slower than that of the control group (47.8%) during late pregnancy period (P < 0.05). The producing rate of exposed group was 60% of that of control group. Miscarriage, fetal loss and externally malformed fetus appeared in exposed group. The average number of offsprings of each exposed mouse was significantly decreased (11 +/- 1.6 vs 7 +/- 2.0, P < 0.05) and 11 for control group. Regarding the development of offspring, the body weight of prenatally exposed offsprings was increased more slowly than that of the control in the first two weeks after birth (P < 0.05). Developmental manifestations including eye opening [(252 +/- 24) h] and tooth eruption [(336 +/- 19) h] presented later in exposed offspring [(226 +/- 12), (319 +/- 15) h, respectively] (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONExposure to ELF EMFs during pregnancy period can cause adverse effects on pregnancy of female mice and development of offsprings.

Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced ; Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Reproduction ; radiation effects

No abstract available.
Aviation* ; Cosmic Radiation*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between microwave radiation and male reproductivity.

METHODSAfter filling out questionnaire and body check, we carried out molecular epidemiological studies, using single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and sperm automatic analysis among people working on radar.

RESULTSQuality of semen and semi-clinical injury of sperm among the people working on radar had changed when radar electromagnetic wave frequency distance, intensity, lasting time and protection shield were changing. Dose-response relationship was noticed and the increase of sperm dysmorphia played a principal role. The results between exposed group and control group showed significant difference (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPeople working on radar who suffered from non-ionization for long time and had bad radar shield protection would show semi-clinical injury on sperm and bad semen quality. However, it did not affect the male reproductive function. It was necessary to reinforce the protection of non-ionization and to improve male reproductive health care of people working on radar.

Adult ; Comet Assay ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Fertility ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Radar ; Radiation, Nonionizing ; Spermatozoa ; cytology ; radiation effects ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of Long-term exposure to low intensity microwave radiation on male reproductivity.

METHODSA total of 289 married male radar operators were included in the radar group and 148 married men unexposed to microwave radiation were enrolled as controls. Questionnaires were used and the intensity of microwave radiation in different working areas was detected.

RESULTSThe rate of sexual dysfunction was 43.6% in the radar group and 24.4% in the control group (P < 0.01). The natural pregnancy rate was 53.6% within 1 year of marriage and 46.4% after 1 year of marriage in the radar group, as compared with 81.1% and 18.9% in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONLong-term exposure to low intensity microwave radiation evidently increased the sexual dysfunction rate and decreased natural pregnancy rate in men.

Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Erectile Dysfunction ; epidemiology ; Female ; Fertility ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Male ; Microwaves ; adverse effects ; Military Personnel ; Occupational Exposure ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Radar ; Radiation Dosage ; Surveys and Questionnaires

To investigate hematopoiesis and cytogenetics changes in staff of interventional radiology.A total of 121 intervention radiation workers, 245 common radiation workers and 100 medical personnel (healthy control) without exposure to radiation were enrolled in the study. The peripheral lymphocyte chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus were detected, and the result of white blood cells examination was analyzed.Compared with common radiation group and healthy control group, decreases in white blood cells count, neutrophil ratio, and increase in lymphocyte ratio were observed in intervention radiation group (all<0.05). Intervention radiation group had higher chromosome aberration rate and micronuclear rate than common radiation group and healthy control group (all<0.05). Most common chromosome aberrations were dicentric chromosome, acentric ring, fragments and minute chromosome. Abnormal rates in chromosome aberration and micronucleus rates were increased with the rise of length of service, but no statistically significant difference was observed (>0.05).Long term exposure to ionizing radiation may lead to changes in the human hematopoietic system and cause human chromosome aberration, and the severity of such injuries may be associated with the dose of ionizing radiation.
Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; radiation effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Female ; Hematopoiesis ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; statistics & numerical data ; Leukocytes ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Lymphocytes ; pathology ; radiation effects ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective ; radiation effects ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Radiation Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiologists ; statistics & numerical data ; Time Factors

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of gestational age at exposure on the prenatal effects of gamma-radiation. Pregnant ICR mice were exposed to a single dose of 2.0 Gy gamma-radiation at a gestational 2.5 to 15.5 days post-coitus (p.c.). The animals were sacrificed on day 18 of gestation and the fetuses were examined for mortality, growth retardation, change in head size and any other morphological abnormalities. The only demonstrable effect of irradiation during the preimplantation period was an increase in prenatal mortality. Resorptions were maximal on post-exposure day 2.5 after conception. The pre-implantation irradiated embryos which survived did not show any major fetal abnormalities. Small head, growth retardation, cleft palate, dilatation of the cerebral ventricle, dilatation of the renal pelvis and abnormalities of the extremities and tail were prominent after exposure during the organogenesis period, especially on day 11.5 of gestation. Our results indicate that the late period of organogenesis in the mouse is a particularly sensitive phase in terms of the development of the brain, skull and extremities.
Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced/*pathology ; Animals ; Bone and Bones/abnormalities/radiation effects ; Female ; Fetal Death ; *Gamma Rays ; *Gestational Age ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Animal/*radiation effects ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects

OBJECTIVETo determine the threshold of millimeter wave irradiation for fetal injury in mice and the mechanism of decrease of learning and memory function in their offsprings and to verify whether the millimeter wave has the non-thermal effect.

METHODSPregnant mice were irradiated by millimeter wave with frequencies of 37.4, 42.2, 53.0 and 60.0 GHz at power densities of 1, 3, 5, 8 mW/cm(2) for two hours daily from the 6th to 15th day of their gestation. Learning and memory functions of their offsprings were tested by a Y-type electric maze. c-Fos protein expression level in hippocampus of their offsprings was determined with immunohistochemistry 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the offsprings were trained respectively.

RESULTSThe minimal power density of millimeter wave for the decrease in learning and memory function and decrease of c-Fos protein expression level in hippocampus of their offsprings caused by 37.4, 42.2 GHz and 53.0, 60.0 GHz was 5 and 3 mW/cm(2). Severity of injury for learning and memory in offsprings caused by irradiation increased with the power density of millimeter wave. The millimeter wave did not cause increase of the body temperature of the pregnant mice.

CONCLUSIONThe threshold of millimeter wave with 37.4, 42.2 GHz, and 53.0, 60.0 GHz causing fetal injury in mice is 5 and 3 mW/cm(2) respectively. The decrease in learning and memory functions in offspring mice is related with decrease of c-Fos protein expression level in hippocampus. Millimeter wave has the non-thermal effects.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Female ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; Learning ; radiation effects ; Memory ; radiation effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Microwaves ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the inflicted by radar electromagnetic radiation to the sperm DNA of radar operators.

METHODSSperm concentration, viability, motility, sperm abnormality were determined by routine sperm analysis and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) in the highly exposed group(n = 88), lowly exposed group(n = 143) and control group(n = 39).

RESULTSSperm motility, viability of the highly exposed group reduced compared with that of the lowly exposed group and control group, while sperm abnormality increased. The COMP alpha reduction of the highly exposed group indicated that the highly exposed group had a medium fertility potential. The multifactor variable analysis showed that daily working time was a dangerous factor in sperm abnormality and abstinence time was a dangerous factor in the parameter of SCSA.

CONCLUSIONSRadar radiation inflicts damage to male reproduction system and it is important to take protective measures.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Chromatin ; ultrastructure ; DNA Damage ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Electromagnetic Phenomena ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Radar ; Spermatozoa ; radiation effects ; ultrastructure

This paper presents the design and development of a set of microwave exposure system based on 1.8GHz mobile RF signal. This system can work on several modulation types to do microwave exposure experiment under different specific absorption rate (SAR) and prepare the way for researches in the effect exerted by the electromagnetic signal of mobile on human health. The hardware is made up of several RF instruments, waveguide and computer, and the software introduces the accomplishment of the control system and the algorithm of control.
Algorithms ; Cell Phone ; Computer Simulation ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Microwaves ; adverse effects ; Neurons ; radiation effects

Effects of gamma irradiation on the worm survival and chromosomal aberration of Clonorchis sinensis were studied. The metacercariae irradiated with various amounts of gamma radiation (ranging from 5 Gy to 50 Gy) were fed to rats, and the effects were compared with those of non-irradiated controls. Recovery rates of adult worms in irradiated groups were reduced gradually as increasing of the irradiation doses. No worm was recovered from rats which were fed with 50 Gy irradiated metacercariae. The chromosome number was 2n = 56 in all worms from all experimental groups. However, the groups irradiated with 20 Gy, 25 Gy or 30 Gy showed variations in the chromosome number, depending on different cells in the same individual. Radiation doses used in this study did not appear to induce chromosome aberrations, however, irradiation with 30 Gy showed slightly reduced chromosome size.
Animals ; Chromosome Aberrations/*radiation effects ; Clonorchis sinensis/*genetics/physiology/*radiation effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Gamma Rays/*adverse effects ; Rats