0191-9067/81/030283-13$02.00/0 Copyright ® 1981 SUNSAT Energy Council CHRONIC EXPOSURE OF A HONEY BEE COLONY TO 2.45 GHz CONTINUOUS WAVE MICROWAVES BECKY BROWN WESTERDAHL and NORMAN E. GARY Department of Entomology University of California Davis, California 95616 Abstract—A honey bee colony (Apis mellifera L.) was exposed 28 days to 2.45 GHz continuous wave microwaves at a power density (1 mW/cm2) expected to be associated with rectennae in the solar power satellite power transmission system. Differences found between the control and microwave-treated colonies were not large, and were in the range of normal variation among similar colonies. Thus,there is an indication that microwave treatment had little, if any, effect on [1] flight and pollen foraging activity, [2] maintenance of internal colony temperature, [3| brood rearing activity, [4] food collection and storage, [5] colony weight, and [6] adult populations. Additional experiments are necessary before firm conclusions can be made. INTRODUCTION An alternative energy system has been proposed in which Solar Power Satellites (SPS) would operate in geosynchronous orbit above the United States to collect solar energy and to transmit it to earth via 2.45 GHz continuous wave microwave beams (1). This system has great potential for economically producing vast quantities of energy with minimal environmental impact, compared to other alternative energy systems. A single satellite would produce 5 GW of electricity. An economic model (2) indicates that, after all factors are taken into consideration, including the cost of fuel to construct and operate the system, the SPS system would produce electrical energy more economically than such ground-based sources as coal-fired and nuclear power plants. Even though the SPS system has great potential and appears feasible from both engineering and economic standpoints, a major concern by the general public is the possibility of adverse biological effects of microwave radiation on animals and plants living within and around the ground-based microwave receiving antennae (rectennae) where power densities would range from 23 mW/cm2 at the center to ~ 1 mW/cm2 near the edge (3). Airborne biota are an important part of the environment. For example, invertebrate species such as insects interact with plants, higher animals, and physical environmental factors in complex ways that are not always anticipated. Even though current engineering models predict that organisms which are considerably smaller than the size of the wavelength (12.5 cm) will be essentially “invisible” to microwaves, and therefore not be affected, it is essential to conduct thorough investigations on biological effects prior to large scale commitments to development of the SPS system. Even if biological effects are not found, such studies
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