Effects of 2.6-4.0 GHz microwave radiation on E-coli B

The effects of 2.6-4.0 GHz microwave radiation on living E. coli B bacteria were studied using measurement of the colony forming ability (CFA) of the cells and alterations in the molecular structure determined by comparing the infrared spectrum of irradiated and unirradiated cell cultures. At absorbed power levels of 20 mW in 1 ml of cellular suspensions (i.e., a specific absorption rate of 20 W/kg) for 10-12 hour exposures, no effects were observed on either the molecular structure or the CFA for this particular strain of E. coli.