Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version VT3.3 7/21/84; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!dual!amd!decwrl!decvax!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) Newsgroups: net.misc,net.dcom Subject: Low level microwaves and cancer Message-ID: <387@vortex.UUCP> Date: Thu, 16-Aug-84 17:28:13 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.387 Posted: Thu Aug 16 17:28:13 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 19-Aug-84 03:52:20 EDT Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 90 a212 1114 16 Aug 84 AM-Microwaves-Cancer, Bjt,730 Study Finds Microwave Exposure Linked With Higher Rates of Cancer By BARTON REPPERT Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Glandular changes and a higher rate of cancer were found among laboratory rats chronically exposed to low-intensity microwaves, according to a study by University of Washington researchers. Results emerging from the $4.5 million study sponsored by the Air Force, have prompted substantial concern among researchers investigating the biological and health effects of non-ionizing radiation, according to Microwave News, a specialized scientific newsletter. ''In addition to a general increase in cancer incidence, the experimental results suggest that microwave exposure is responsible for wide-ranging effects related to the adrenal glands and the entire endocrine system,'' the publication reported. The adrenal glands, adjacent to the kidneys, and other glands of the endocrine system produce chemical hormones vital to the regulation of many bodily functions. The Microwave News account noted that the findings could provide an experimental basis for widely reported complaints of headaches, dizziness, memory loss and fatigue from workers chronically exposed to microwave radiation Microwave radiation is emitted by a wide variety of sources including thousands of military and civilian radar installations, satellite ground stations, relay towers for long-distance telephone links, television transmitters, as well as microwave ovens and citizens band radios. Environmental Protection Agency surveys have found that 99.4 percent of the people in 15 major cities were exposed to microwave and radiofrequency radiation at power levels of 1 microwatt per square centimeter or less. Government microwave-oven regulations mandate that at the time of sale, radiation emitted from the devices must not exceed 1,000 microwatts per square centimeter, measured at a distance 5 centimeters from the oven's outside surface. For older ovens, the limit rises to a maximum of 5,000 microwatts per square centimeter. Although the University of Washington study utilized the same frequency used in many microwave ovens, the experiment also exposed the rats to special pulsing and modulation characteristics that are not found in the consumer cooking devices. If confirmed by other researchers, the test results ''would undermine the 1982 American National Standards Institute radiofrequency and microwave radiation exposure standard,'' according to Microwave News. This voluntary standard sets safety levels of 1,000 to 5,000 microwatts per square centimeter for human exposure to microwave radiation. The research team, headed by Professor Arthur W. Guy at the university's School of Medicine in Seattle, exposed rats up to 25 months to pulsed microwaves at a level of 480 microwatts per square centimeter. The EPA has prepared draft ''guidance'' for establishing a legally enforceable safety standard for exposure to mirowave and radiofrequency radiation. But the document's release - originally set for June - has been delayed, reportedly due to an internal dispute within the agency. EPA Assistant Administrator Joseph Cannon has said the agency is considering a number of options, including abandonment of the draft standard. Results of the University of Washington study were presented at a scientific conference last month in Atlanta. The researchers disclosed that there were 16 malignant tumors among 100 exposed rats, compared to four tumors among 100 control animals. The 16 tumors in exposed rats included seven involving the endocrine system - two thyroid, two pituitary and three adrenal gland tumors. The average weight of the adrenal glands in the exposed animals was double that of the control animals, the researchers said. In addition, there were six benign adrenal tumors - known as pheochromocytomas - in the exposed rats, but none among the controls. This type of tumor has been associated with high blood pressure, headaches and stress in human patients. Dr. Samuel Milham, an epidemiologist for the Washington State Health Department, said results of the study appeared to point to a ''stress reaction'' in the exposed animals. ''It looks like the microwave radiation may have been a tumor promoter,'' he said in a telephone interview. ''It didn't initiate the cancers, but once some cancer cells got going it promoted growth of the tumors.'' Milham has conducted statistical reviews that found increased rates of leukemia among power-station operators, aluminum workers, power and telephone linemen as well as other workers chronically exposed to electric and magnetic fields. ''The scientific data suggest the need for further epidemiological studies involving workers exposed to microwave and radiofrequency radiation,'' said David LeGrande, director of occupational safety and health for the Communications Workers of America. ''Many thousands of workers may be exposed to hazardous levels, and they need to know what the dangers associated with such exposure might be.''