Abstract

Electromagnetic fields are capable of eliciting in vivo and in vitro effects in many biological systems. Meanwhile, in the last few decades several controversial reports claiming important bioeffects of different electromagnetic fields on cellular systems have been published. In this work three unicellular algal species namely Dunaliella salina, Chlorella salina and Chlorella vulgaris were exposed to different doses of EM waves produced from Nokia mobile phone with specific absorption rate (SAR) equal to 0.77 W/Kg and 4 mobile phone towers. The results showed positive effect of some low mobile EM doses, that represented by stimulation of growth in C. salina and C. vulgaris, increase in protein contents of D. salina and C. vulgaris, increase of most pigment fractions of D. salina, increase of chl. b content of C. salina, stimulation of protein synthesis in the three investigated species, and increase of carbohydrate content of C. vulgaris. Negative results of growth and all the studied parameters were recorded for the three algal species when they are subjected to high mobile EM doses. The negative impacts of mobile towers include inhibition of growth and decrease in the contents of pigments and carbohydrates. The EM waves affected greatly the ultrastructure of the three algal species.

Key words: Mobile phones – Microalgae - Electromagnetic waves