Efeitos comportamentais decorrentes da radiação de micro-ondas na frequência de operação utilizada pelos aparelhos celulares.

Abstract

Because of the controversy concerning possible human health damages connected to microwave radiation from cellular mobile telephones and the inviability, for ethic questions, of doing laboratory studies with human beings, this research presents a preliminary analysis of behavioral effects on rats of the species Rattus norvegicus subject to this eletromagnetic radiation. An analogical transmitter (AMPS) was used as the radiated source and an LPD antenna in the 850 MHz frequency range and irradiating a power density of 0,6 mW/cm2 (which represents the maximum security level adopted by international regulatory bodies, for human beings submitted to radiation in that frequency), applied for a period of one hour, every day. The behavioral analysis included several experiments, like the Skinner Cage Test and the Morris Water Maze Test, used to evaluate learning and memory, and the Elevated Cross Form Maze Experiment, whose main objective was to verify the stress level of the animals. The weight of the rats, the water and food in take were also measured. In general, as a result of this research wasn't verify significant influence of microwave radiation over rats behavior and their performance in experiments, except for Skinner Cage Test results.