Effects of 2.45 GHz electromagnetic fields with a wide range of SARs on bacterial and HPRT gene mutations.
Present day use of mobile phones is ubiquitous. This causes some concern for human health due to exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HFEMF) from mobile phones. Consequently, we have examined the effects of 2.45 GHz electromagnetic fields on bacterial mutations and the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) gene mutations. Using the Ames test, bacteria were exposed to HFEMF for 30 min at specific absorption rates (SARs) from 5 to 200 W/kg. In all strains, there was no significant difference in the frequency of revertant colonies between sham exposure and HFEMF-exposed groups. In examination of mutations of the HPRT gene, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells were exposed to HFEMF for 2 h at SARs from 5 to 200 W/kg. We detected a combination effect of simultaneous exposure to HFEMF and bleomycin at the respective SARs. A statistically significant difference was observed between the cells exposed to HFEMF at the SAR of 200 W/kg. Cells treated with the combination of HFEMF at SARs from 50 to 200 W/kg and bleomycin exhibited increased HPRT mutations. As the exposure to HFEMF induced an increase in temperature, these increases of mutation frequency may be a result of activation of bleomycin by heat. We consider that the increase of mutation frequency may be due to a thermal effect.
Koyama
Shin
S
Department of Radiological Technology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Japan.
Takashima
Yoshio
Y
Sakurai
Tomonori
T
Suzuki
Yukihisa
Y
Taki
Masao
M
Miyakoshi
Junji
J
D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D040421:Cell Phone; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004249:DNA Damage; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D008872:Microwaves; D009154:Mutation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011829:Radiation Dosage
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase