The Assessment of Nonionizing Radiation Hazards

Abstract : Naval personnel frequently occupy environments susceptible to microwave energy from weapons systems and communication devices. Several scientific reports have indicated that behavior can be modified by relatively low levels of microwave energy, but the detrimental or beneficial nature of these behavioral effects are not immediately apparent. A series of experiments employing a behavior whose affective nature could be assessed and which was analogous to human behavior was conducted with several species of animals. Rats, squirrel monkeys, and rhesus monkeys trained on operant tasks were exposed to microwave radiation and produced data suggestive of a possible extrapolation to man in similar situations. The results show that behavioral changes are related to increases in colonic temperature. In monkeys the average increase in colonic temperature associated with changes in response rate was 1 C. Response rate did not change in the absence of concomitant temperature increases. (Author)