Study of the State of the Nervous System of Workers in the Near Zone of Microwave Em Non-Thermal Intensity

Purpose: To assess the neurological status of personnel who have worked for a long time in the near zone of low-intensity packet-pulse microwave electromagnetic fields. Material and methods: The subjects were researchers from the All-Russian Institute of Experimental Physics (VNIIF), who worked with devices generating microwave electromagnetic fields (53 individuals and a corresponding control group of 30). These were men aged 24 to 60 years, with work experience ranging from 1 to 35 years. The nature of exposure was a pulse-packet mode of microwave electromagnetic fields in the near zone, with oscillations of the electric field at the workplace ranging from 0.34 µW/cm² to 314 µW/cm². Both groups underwent examination, including a general clinical examination, registration, and assessment of rheoencephalography (REG), electroencephalography (EEG), and rheography (RVG). Results: Analysis of clinical symptoms shows a statistically significant prevalence of complaints of headache, weakness, fatigue, and irritability in the main group compared to the control group. In 86.8 % of those working under microwave electromagnetic fields, a decrease in tendon and periosteal reflexes was observed. Compared to the control group, there were statistically significant prevalences of: increased blood pressure and its asymmetry, reduced blood filling of all vessels, their dystonia according to REG data, and in EEG – increased desynchronization and disruption of alpha activity rhythm. The changes in the analyzed indicators are shown depending on the length of service for the periods: 1–5 years, 6–15 years, 16–25 years, 26–35 years. Conclusion: As a result of the examination, a conclusion was made about the possibility of the development of neurological disorders in workers under the specified conditions of microwave electromagnetic fields, manifested as syndromes: vegetative-vascular dystonia, vestibulopathy, polyneuropathy, and asthenia, which increased with the length of service. The obtained results are important for accumulating data on the bioeffects of weak electromagnetic fields, with the aim of understanding the mechanisms and phenomenology of possible deviations in the state of the body, which is necessary for developing methodologies for the prevention and treatment of this personnel.