Bibliography of Reported Biological Phenomena (“Effects”) and Clinical Manifestations Attributed to Microwave and Radio-Frequency Radiation

Abstract

More than 2,300 references on the biological responses to radio-frequency and microwave radiation, published up to April 1972, are included in this bibliography of the world literature. Particular attention is given to the effects on humans of non-ionizing radiation at these frequencies. The citations are arranged alphabetically by author and contain as much information as possible to support retrieval of the original documents. Soviet and East European literature is included in detail. An outline of the effects attributed to radio-frequency and microwave radiation is included as Chapter 1. The revised report (which supersedes DDC report AD#734391) adds three supplementary listings and incorporates many corrections and additions to the original 2,100 citations.

Foreword

It is the hope of the author that this bibliography will provide guidance to the diffuse and conflicting literature on the biological responses to electromagnetic radiation at radio- and microwave-frequencies, with particular reference to the effects of concern to humans. Such guidance is needed in the formulation and appraisal of criteria and limits of human exposure to “non-ionizing” radiation, and in the planning and conduct of future research.

The original plans were to categorize and key the literature citations to the “outline of biological and clinical effects” (Chapter 1). This proved to be a much more difficult and time-consuming task than anticipated, and was completed only for about 400 papers. The letter-number combinations given in square brackets for some of the “A” through “C” citations refer to the outline. [NV] indicates the citation was “not verified.”

The standard format used throughout the bibliography is: author, (date). Journal, volume, (issue): page, “title.” The authors are alphabetized and arranged in chronological order. Multiple authors are also alphabetically ordered according to the second, third, etc. author. Inclusive pagination is given where possible, as is the original language of the citation. Report accession and translation numbers, and alternate sources, are listed when known. The title of books is underlined. When the title of the report was not available (or not given), a short one-line description of the paper is listed whenever possible. Reports in which the name of the author was not given are listed chronologically using the format “title,” reference, source, (date). In many cases the citation was obtained from secondary or tertiary sources, so it was impossible to place every citation into a perfectly consistent format.

In a few cases, papers have been cited because they were presented at symposia or meetings devoted to the topic, even when the report title suggests that they do not pertain directly to it. This was done to show the wide range of items considered relevant at the time. A few citations of marginal or peripheral relationship have also been included so that readers may judge applicability to their individual research needs. Examples include reports on static and alternating magnetic fields, experimental techniques using radio-frequency and microwave radiation, and microwave exposure limits, regulations, and standards.

References for a few limited-distribution government reports are available upon request. The author welcomes information that will correct errors and omissions, and copies of new papers would be greatly appreciated to support periodic revision and updating of the bibliography.

Acknowledgments

The assistance and support received during the preparation of this bibliography were considerable. Drs. John Keesey and Dennis Heffner, former and present Heads of the Biophysics Division, and Dr. Seymour Friess, Director of the Environmental Biosciences Department of the Naval Medical Research Institute, permitted the author the opportunity to work on the bibliography and offered frequent encouragement.

Acknowledgment is also due to many friends and associates for helpful suggestions, comments, and loans or gifts of reports and other material. Mr. Glenn Heimer of the Naval Ship Engineering Center contributed an extensive collection of government reports and documents, many of which had not previously been cited in the open literature.

Special help in tracing and acquiring relevant papers came from the librarians and staff members of the NMRI library: Mrs. Thelma Robinson, Mrs. Ernestine Gendleman, Mrs. Eleanor Capps, and Miss Deborah Grove. Their diligence and resourcefulness in tracing and obtaining copies of a large number of papers and reports, often in spite of incomplete or inaccurate citations in other sources, enabled inclusion of many relevant items.

Mr. Christopher Dodge of the Scientific and Technical Center, Department of the Navy, provided much of the Soviet Bloc literature, linguistic and other technical assistance, and valuable comments and encouragement throughout the preparation of the report. Helpful assistance in locating Soviet literature was also received from Mr. E. S. Serebrennikov of the Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress.

Credit is due Mrs. Anna Woke for translating many of the German papers; to Dr. Emilio Weiss for translations from Italian; to Mrs. Edith Pugh for typing many first drafts; and to Mrs. Rhoda Glaser for help in many aspects of the work. Mrs. Fannie Epstein deserves special mention for editorial assistance and for the heroic typing, organization, and checking of the entire report.

Chapter 1 · Outline of Reported Biological Phenomena (“Effects”)

These effects are listed without comment or endorsement, since the literature abounds with conflicting reports. In some cases the basis for reporting an “effect” was a single or non-statistical observation drawn from a poorly conceived or poorly executed experiment.

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