Multigenerational Effects of Whole Body Exposure to 2.14 GHz W-CDMA Cellular Phone Signals on Brain Function in Rats

The present experimental study was carried out with rats to evaluate the effects of whole body exposure to 2.14GHz band code division multiple access (W-CDMA) signals for 20h a day, over three generations. The average specific absorption rate (SAR, in unit of W/kg) for dams was designed at three levels: high (<0.24W/kg), low (<0.08W/kg), and 0 (sham exposure). Pregnant mothers (4rats/group) were exposed from gestational day (GD) 7 to weaning and then their offspring (F-1 generation, 4males and 4females/dam, respectively) were continuously exposed until 6 weeks of age. The F-1 females were mated with F-1 males at 11 weeks old, and then starting from GD 7, they were exposed continuously to the electromagnetic field (EMF; one half of the F1 offspring was used for mating, that is, two of each sex per dam and 8males and 8females/group, except for all offspring for the functional development tests). This protocol was repeated in the same manner on pregnant F-2 females and F-3 pups; the latter were killed at 10 weeks of age. No abnormalities were observed in the mother rats (F-0, F-1, and F-2) and in the offspring (F-1, F-2, and F-3) in any biological parameters, including neurobehavioral function. Thus, it was concluded that under the experimental conditions applied, multigenerational whole body exposure to 2.14GHz W-CDMA signals for 20h/day did not cause any adverse effects on the F-1, F-2, and F-3 offspring. Bioelectromagnetics. 35:497-511, 2014. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.