Abstract
.Biological systems with intrinsic luminescent properties serve as powerful and noninvasive bioreporters for real-time and label-free monitoring of cell physiology. This study employs the bioluminescent marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri to investigate the effects of separated microwave electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields. Using a cylindrical mode aluminum resonant cavity, designed to spatially separate E and H fields of a pulsed microwave (2.45 GHz) input, we sampled at 100-ms intervals the 490-nm emission of bioluminescence from suspensions of the V. fischeri. E-field exposure (at 4.24 and 13.4 kV/m) results in rapid and sensitive responses to 100-ms pulses. H-field excitation elicits no measurable responses, even at 100-fold higher power input levels (equivalent to 183 A/m). The observed effects on bacterial light output partially correlate with measured E-field-induced temperature increases. In conclusion, the endogenous bioluminescence of V. fischeri provides a sensitive and noninvasive method to assess the biological effects of microwave fields.
Highlights
We live in a fast-growing world of connected information technology that is represented by concepts such as 5G wireless communication, Internet of Things, as well as connected cars and healthcare
We provide details of an in vitro experimental set-up for real-time monitoring of V. fischeri bioluminescence during microwave irradiation whereby the electric field (E field) and magnetic field (H field) are separated in a TM010 mode resonant cavity
Our experiments show that bacterial light emission responds quickly and sensitively to pulsed E fields, at close to nonthermal levels, no effects of exposure to H fields could be demonstrated
Summary
We live in a fast-growing world of connected information technology that is represented by concepts such as 5G wireless communication, Internet of Things, as well as connected cars and healthcare. Concerns about the possible biological effects of microwave and millimeter wave frequencies on living organisms including humans, and their cellular, tissue, and organ functions persist, despite extensive investigations carried out for over 40 years.[1,2,3,4] Published surveys of large human populations, mainly concluding that effects are minimal,[5] do not entirely dispel the need for cautious controls, e.g., on the use of mobile phones by children.[6]. The time constant of the natural decay of bioluminescent light output is ∼2 days, so over a typical experiment there would be a natural decay of around 0.2%, which is negligible compared the effect of small thermal fluctuations (of the order of 0.1°C)
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