second with a peak electric fi,.Id intensity of 447 kV/m, a 5-nsec rise time and 550-nsev l/e fall time. The~follo*.irjg-c.-Ib )gical parameters were measured: blood chemistry, blood and bone marrow cellular conce~ntration, chromosomal aberrations, erythrocyte prodwf..ion. 3ffectsJ on fertility and reproductive, papability and appearance of tumors and other late effects. 1kt no time before and particular~y as the rodents approached the end of their life-span did any -%f the biological measurements indicate an e.'ect of the EMP radiation. While it Is extremely 0Affi-cutto prove the absence of any injury, it can be unequivocally stated that EMP exposuze presented no biological hazard to the rodents of the present study.
Rodents were exposed to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) radiation to test the hypothesis that rapid changes in electric and magnetic fields would induce injuries in biological systems with high cell turnover rates. The AFRRI EMP generator provided five pulses per second with a peak electric field intensity of 447 kV/m with a 5 nsec rise time and 550 nsec I/e fall time. Exposures, totalling lo8 pulses, were continuous except for approximately 2 hr, 5 days per week for biological sampling and animal care during 38 weeks. Biological assays were periodically conducted in exposed and nonexposed animals at appropriate intervals.I t was observed that the reticulocyte count in exposed rats was nearly always greater than in nonexposed rats. However, there were no concomitant differences in peripheral erythrocyte counts between the two groups, nor did radioactiveironincorporationindicateincreased cellular production in the irradiated group. Platelet counts in exposed rats were decreased about 10% below those in the nonexposed group most of the time. Levels or relative counts of circulating leukocytes did not differ between the two groups. Bone marrow cellularity was not different between the two groups. Analysis of chromosomes from bone marrow cells showed nodetectable increases of aberrations in EMP exposed rats. Routine chemical analysis of blood demonstrated similar values in the two groups. Histological studies indicated no effect of EMP. Observations of fetuses from pregnant rats showed no abnormalities. No incidence of mammary tumors was observed in the female Sprague-Dawley rats. In leukemia prone AKR/J male mice, leukemia did not occur earlier in EMP exposed animals, nor was the fraction of leukemic mice greater in this group when compared with the nonirradiated control mice.The present experiment utilizing the above-described physical parameters represented a condition exceeding by several orders of magnitude that normally encountered by humans who operate EMP facilities. Exposures of rodents under these conditions indicated no apparent acute injuries.
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