Cytogenetic investigations on microwaves emitted by a 455.7 MHz car phone

Maes A, Collier M, Verschaeve L

Folia Biol (Praha) 46(5):175-180, 2000

The chromosome aberration or sister chromatid exchange frequency was determined in 455.7 MHz microwave-exposed human lymphocytes and in lymphocytes that were subsequently exposed to MMC or X-rays.

The exposure was performed by placing the cells at 5 cm from the antenna of a car phone. In this way the specific absorption ratio was approximately 6.5 W/kg. The temperature and humidity was kept constant during the experiments.

No statistically significant difference was found between microwave-exposed and unexposed control samples. When the microwave exposure was followed by exposure to MMC, some differences were found between the combined treatments and the MMC treatments alone. However, there was no consistency in the results. Combined treatments with X-rays did not provide any indication of a synergistic action between the RF fields and X-rays, either.

Our data therefore do not support the hypothesis that RF fields act synergistically with chemical or physical mutagens.