ISSN:
0197-8462
Keywords:
air ions
;
DC electric fields
;
locomotor activity
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Occupational Health and Environmental Toxicology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Physics
Notes:
Air ions and direct current (DC) electric fields have been reported to exert subtle behavioral and biological effects on rodents and humans. These effects often appear inconsistent, yet there have been few attempts to resolve these inconsistencies by experimental replication. Rats exposed to negatively or positively charged air ions over a wide range of concentrations and exposure periods have been reported to show alterations in their level of locomotor activity. In this study, locomotor activity of Sprague-Dawley rats was quantified during exposure to either (1) unipolar air ions and DC fields of the same polarity or (2) DC fields alone. Both polarities were studied. Air ion concentrations were 5.0 × 103, DC fields were 3 kV/m, and exposures lasted 2, 18, or 66 h. In one experiment rats were exposed to DC fields of 12 kV/m. No exposure condition exerted any effect on locomotor activity or rearing behavior. In addition, no behavioral perturbations were observed after the onset of any of the exposure conditions, suggesting that the rats may have failed to detect the altered environment.
Additional Material:
5 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.2250070309
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