Noninvasive Assessment of Metabolic Effects of Exposure to 900 MHz Electromagnetic Fields on Djungarian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

Sixteen male Djungarian hamsters, serving as their own controls, were individually exposed to RF-EMF (900 MHz, GSM modulation) at 0 (sham), 0.08, 0.4 or 4 W/kg specific absorption rate (SAR) in specially constructed rectangular waveguides. Exposure duration was one week per condition, followed by one week without exposure. Once per day, the temperatures of the hamsters' back fur (a surrogate for skin temperature) and the cornea of the eye (a surrogate for body temperature), were measured by infrared thermography. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity were measured continuously in the ambient and exhaled air. Food and water consumption, as well as body weight were recorded once per week. Only at the highest SAR level were the following effects observed: fur temperatures were elevated by approximately 0.5°C (P < 0.001), while the temperatures of the eyes' surface were not affected; food consumption was lowered (P < 0.05), while water consumption and body weight were not affected; the production of carbon diox...