Effects of continuous and pulsed chronic microwave exposure on rabbits

Eighteen young adult New Zealand rabbits (nine males, nine females) were equally divided into three groups. One group was exposed to CW 2450‐MHz fields at an incident power density of 1.5 mW/cm2 for 2 hours daily for 3 months. Another group was exposed to pulsed fields with pulses of 10 μ s duration occurring 100 times per second. The third group was sham exposed. Each rabbit was placed in a Plexiglas cage and exposed in a miniature plane wave exposure chamber. An S band horn was mounted 1 m above the animal. Thermographic data showed a peak specific absorption rate of 1.64 W/kg in the head and 2.1 W/kg in the back. Body weights were measured every other day. Electroencephalogram and evoked potentials were recorded weekly via implanted carbon‐loaded Teflon electrodes. Blood samples were taken monthly for hematological, chemical, and morphological studies. Eyes were examined for cataract formation. Before the animals were sacrificed, apomorphine‐induced behavioral excitation and hyperthermia were studied. Finally, pathological examinations on many tissues and organs were performed. Statistically, there were no significant differences in measured parameters observed between the exposed and sham animals.