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Updated: May 8, 2026

Effective Analysis of Human Exposure Conditions with Body-worn Dosimeters in the 2.4 GHz Band
Published on: May 2, 2018
Ants can be used as bio-indicators to reveal biological effects of electromagnetic waves from some wireless apparatus
Marie-Claire Cammaerts1, Olle Johansson
1Faculté des sciences, le département de Biologie des Organismes (DBO), Université Libre de Bruxelles , Brussels , Belgium and.
Abstract:
Society is confronted with an increasing number of applications making use of wireless communication. We also notice an increasing awareness about potentially harmful effects of the related electromagnetic fields on living organisms. At present, it is not realistic to expect that wireless communication will decrease or disappear within the near future. That is why we currently are investigating the mechanisms behind these effects and the effectiveness of possible solutions. In order to be efficient and effective, we designed and validated a fast and easy test on ants - these insects being used as a biological model - for revealing the effect of wireless equipments like mobile phones, smartphones, digital enhanced cordless telephone (DECT) phones, WiFi routers and so on. This test includes quantification of ants' locomotion under natural conditions, then in the vicinity of such wireless equipments. Observations, numerical results and statistical results allow detecting any effect of a radiating source on these living organisms.
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