Effects of 2.45-GHz microwave radiation on embryonic quail hearts

Although exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic radiation has been reported to cause a variety of systemic alterations during embryonic development, there are few reports of the induction of specific physiology or morphologic changes in the myocardium. This study was designed to examine the effects of microwave radiation on cardiogenesis in Japanese quail embryos exposed during the first eight days of development to 2.45-GHz continuous-wave microwaves at power densities of 5 or 20 mW/cm2. The specific absorption rates were 4.0 and 16.2 mW/g, respectively. The ambient temperature for each exposure was set to maintain the embryonated eggs at 37.5 degree C. This did not preclude thermal gradients in the irradiated embryos since microwaves may not uniformly absorbed. The test exposure levels did not induce changes in either the morphology of the embryonic heart or the ultrastructure of the myocardial cells. Analysis of the enzymatic activities of lactate dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and creatine phosphokinase failed to reveal any statistically significant differences between the nonexposed controls and those groups exposed to either 5 or 20 mW/cm2. The data indicate that 2.45-GHz microwave radiation at 5 or 20 mW/cm2 has no effect on the measured variables of the Japanese quail myocardium exposed during the first eight days of development.