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Specific Absorption Rate Variability in Long Term Exposure In Vivo Experiments

There is no specific methodology for exposing animals to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields, especially regarding the technical setup, the generator parameters, the duration of exposure. When reviewing the literature, there is a huge diversity in terms of experiment design and technical setup. Most studies that examine the biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic exposure use laboratory setups that address the controllability aspect, therefore having strict parameters. On the other hand, the relevance of these laboratory experiments with respect to real-life exposure is reduced for the sake of controllability and replicability, differing from environmental exposure to radiofrequency radiation in real-life settings. Recent reviews indicate that real-life signals are more bioactive, meaning that the high and unpredictable variability of real-life exposure sources (represented by telecommunication devices) induce the most significant biologic effects. Another aspect in animal in vivo experiments using long term exposure is that any motion restriction would induce a significant stress in the long run, especially for experiments lasting months or years. Therefore, long-term exposure must be done with the free movement of laboratory animals, which only adds to the exposure’s variability. One of the quality criteria imposed to animal in vivo exposure is accurate dosimetry. It is the scope of this paper to discuss the variability of the specific absorption rate in long term exposure of animal in vivo experiments with respect to the animal position in the electromagnetic fields.