Lack of Teratogenicity after Combined Exposure of Pregnant Mice to CDMA and WCDMA Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

Concern about the possible adverse effects of radiofrequency (RF)-field exposure on public health has increased because of the extensive use of wireless mobile phones and other telecommunication devices in daily life. The murine fetus is a very sensitive indicator of the effects of stress or stimuli in the environment. Therefore, we investigated the teratogenic effects of multi-signal radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMFs) on mouse fetuses. Pregnant mice were simultaneously exposed to two types of RF signals, single code division multiple access (CDMA) and wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA). Mice received two 45-min RF-field exposures, separated by a 15-min interval, daily throughout the entire gestation period. The whole-body average specific absorption rate (SAR) of CDMA or WCDMA was 2.0 W/kg. The animals were killed humanely on the 18th day of gestation and fetuses were examined for mortality, growth retardation, changes in head size and other morphological abnormalities. From the results, we report for the first time that simultaneous experimental exposure to CDMA and WCDMA RF EMFs did not cause any observable adverse effects on mouse fetuses. (C) 2009 by Radiation Research Society