1980 Solar Power Satellite Program Review

pathologic lesions are caused by increased testicular temperatures, this sterility or less of fertility is relieved when the testicles return to their normal operating temperatures below body temperature. When we discussed teratology and the relative absorption in man and rat we were very concerned about size. The body size of man is about 150 times that of the rat. But the ratio of man's testicular size to the rat's or other laboratory animals' is much less. Consequently, we might expect more similar relative absorption rates and more similar energy distributions. The studies conducted to examine the response of the testes to microwave exposure should then be more susceptible to extrapolation from animals to man. In one study of rats, a temporary sterility was induced in males after 4 weeks of exposure for 4 hours per day in a microwave field of 2450 MHz and 28 mW/cm2. Testicular temperatures in this regimen reached 37.5°C in 90 minutes. In another study in dogs, calculations would have that animal's testes temperature reach 38 or more degrees at 20 mW/cm2 at 2880 MHz for 1 hour. Testicular temperatures like these could cause some decrease in fertility indices in men. Studies done in men exposed occupationally to unknown levels and frequencies of radar for unspecified durations imply that laboratory measured indices of fertility are decreased, but with no effect on functional fertility. And, maybe this picture is that which can be expected in men working in the rectennae site. We have seen that attempts to relate microwave studies of teratology or testes effects in animals to humans can be made, but the models are tenuous. Teratology and male fertility are only 2 of the effects which have been noted in the literature of reproductive effects of microwaves. This (Figure 4) is a list of others that eventually will require evaluation and extrapolation to remove insecurity about SPS-related health effects. Until the program for the study of the health effects of SPS-related exposure situations includes animal models which more closely resemble man than do rodents, we will remain with such insecurity. FIGURE 1 Approximate Relative Absorption Rates (mW/g) for:

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