ALTERATIONS IN ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN LEAVES AFTER EXPOSURE OF PLECTRANTHUS SP. PLANTS TO 900 MHZ ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

Accelerated and widespread use of different communication systems and modern electronic equipment increases exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) and raises serious concerns about the biological and health-related effects of RF radiation. Numerous studies document various biological effects of RF radiation. However, most of these findings derive from epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies while only a few investigate effects of RF radiation on plants. The purpose of our study was to investigate the alterations in enzyme activities in leaves after exposure of plants Plectranthus sp. to 900 MHz EMF and their dependence on the time elapsed after exposure. Plectranthus is the largest South African genus of plants belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). The ornamental herbaceous plant Plectranthus sp. was used as a model plant for investigating the effects of 900 MHz EMF. Plants were exposed whole body for 1 hour to EM radiation from GSM mobile phone (carrier frequency 902 MHz, 2 W pulse output power) at 20 cm distance from the antenna. Alterations in activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in leaves were registered immediately after the end of the exposure and 1, 2 and 24 hours later. Irradiation of plants induced different alterations in enzyme activities depending on the time elapsed after irradiation. Immediately after exposure the activity of the three investigated enzymes decreased, but increased at 24th hour. In conclusion, the data provide evidence that plants perceive and respond to electromagnetic fields and are a good model to study the effects of mobile phone radiation.