Abstract

Pragyan P. Rout, Rageshree Swain, Dinesh Panda and Sanhita Padhi*

ABSTRACT

The usage of mobile phones during the last decades has resulted in an increase in the levels of electromagnetic radiations in natural environments causing electromagnetic pollution like electromagnetic field smog which has harmful effects on the living organisms. Experiments were conducted to observe the effects of radiations on the plants. It was designed to observe the effects of electromagnetic radiations emitted from mobile phones on the physiological and biochemical changes in the emerging seedlings of Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna radiata. The seeds were subjected to three different mobile networks (2G, 3G and 4G). The seeds which were subjected to 4G cell phone radiations showed much earlier seed germination that is within two days of sowing as compared to the 2G and 3G electro-magnetic radiation in which the seed germination was observed after four days of sowing in case of Vigna radiata. The percentage of seed germination in Vigna radiata reduced to 40%, 25% and 25% in case of the seeds subjected to 2G, 3G and 4G mobile radiations respectively. The seed germination in case of Phaseolus vulgaris was delayed for four days of sowing the seeds. Only 25% of the seeds were germinated in each of the case. The length of the radicle was found to be 1.4cm, 0.7cm 0.4cm when exposed to 2G, 3G and 4G mobile radiations respectively in case of Vigna radiata whereas it was found to be 2.1cm, 3cm and 6.5cm when exposed to 2G, 3G and 4G mobile radiations respectively in case of Phaseolus vulgaris. The height of the seedlings of Vigna radiata is maximum in-case of the seedlings that were subjected to 2G cell phone radiations which was found to be 2.2cm. The radiations greatly interfered in the biochemical processes of the seedlings of both the varieties. There was a marked decrease in the carbohydrate, lipid, protein and chlorophyll contents in case of both the varieties. The total chlorophyll content in Vigna radiata was found to be minimum in case of the seedlings exposed to 4G mobile radiations i.e 200?g/ml. The total chlorophyll content in Phaseolus vulgaris was found to be minimum in case of the seedlings exposed to all the three types of mobile radiations i.e 340?g/ml. The lipid content was reduced when compared with that of the control seedlings, but it was found to be minimum in case of plants of Vigna radiata when exposed to 4G radiations that is 0.06gm and in case of plants of Phaseolus vulgaris when exposed to 3G radiations that is 0.4gm. The carbohydrate concentration was reduced in case of plants exposed to mobile radiations as compared to that of the control plants. It was found to be minimum in case of the seedlings of both Vigna radiata and Phaseolus vulgaris when exposed to 4G radiations which was 0.09mg/ml and 0.6mg/ml respectively.