The identification of an intensity 'window' on the bioeffects of mobile telephony radiation.
OBJECTIVE
The increased bioactivity 'windows' of GSM 900 and 1800 MHz radiations, (Global System for Mobile telecommunications) revealed recently by us and published in this issue, manifesting themselves as a maximum decrease in the reproductive capacity of the insect Drosophila melanogaster, were examined to discover whether they depend on the intensity of radiation-fields.


METHODS
In each experiment, one group of insects were exposed to the GSM 900 or 1800 radiation at 30 or 20 cm distances, respectively, from the antenna of a mobile phone, where the bioactivity 'window' appears for each type of radiation and another group was exposed at 8 or 5 cm, respectively, behind a metal grid, shielding both microwave radiation and the extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields for both types of radiation in a way that radiation and field intensities were roughly equal between the two groups. Then the effect on reproductive capacity was compared between groups for each type of radiation.


RESULTS
The decrease in the reproductive capacity did not differ significantly between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The bioactivity window seems to be due to the intensity of radiation-field (10 microW/cm(2), 0.6-0.7 V/m) at 30 or 20 cm from the GSM 900 or 1800 mobile phone antenna, respectively.
Panagopoulos
Dimitris J
DJ
Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. dpanagop@biol.uoa.gr
Margaritis
Lukas H
LH
D000818:Animals; D040421:Cell Phone; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors