Biological effects in rodents exposed to 10-8 pulses of electromagnetic radiation.

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Rodents were exposed to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) radiation to test the hypothesis that rapid changes in electric and magnetic fields would induce injuries in biological systems with high cell turnover rates. The AFRRI EMP generator provided five pulses per second with a peak electric field intensity of 447 kV/m with a 5 nsec rise time and 550 nsec 1/e fall time. Exposures, totalling 108 pulses, were continuous except for approximately 2 hr, 5 days per week for biological sampling and animal care during 38 weeks. Biological assays were periodically conducted in exposed and nonexposed animals at appropriate intervals. It was observed that the reticulocyte count in exposed rats was nearly always greater than in nonexposed rats. However, there were no concomitant differences in peripheral erythrocyte counts beriveen the two groups, nor did radio active iron in corporation indicate increased cellular production in the irradiated group. Platelet counts in exposed rats were decreased about 10% below those in the nonexposed group most of the time. Levels or relative counts of circulating leukocytes did not differ between the two groups. Bone marrow cellularity was not different between the two groups. Analysis of chromosomes from bone marrow cells showed no detectable increases of aberrations in EMP exposed rats. Routine chemical analysis of blood demonstrated similar values in the two groups. Histological studies indicated no effect of EMP. Observations of fetuses from pregnant rats showed no abnormalities. No incidence of mammary tumors was observed in the female Sprague-Dawley rats. In leukemia prone AKR/J male mice, leukemia did not occur earlier in EMP exposed animals, nor was the fraction of leukemic mice greater in this group when compared with the nonirradiated control mice. The present experiment utilizing the above-described physical parameters represented a condition exceeding by several orders of magnitude that normally encountered by humans who operate EMP facilities. Exposures of rodents under these conditions indicated no apparent acute injuries.