The impact of extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (50Hz, 0.25 mT) on fitness components and wing traits of Drosophila subobscura

• Published in: Genetika (Beograd) Vol. 47; no. 3; pp. 967 - 982
• Main Authors: Patenkovic, Aleksandra, Savic, Tatjana, Kenig, Bojan, Kurbalija-Novicic, Zorana, Andjelkovic, Marko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Drosophila subobscura
• ISSN: 0534-0012; 1820-6069
• DOI: 10.2298/GENSR1503967P

Over the past century, man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF) have changed the
natural environment, representing one of the most common and rapidly
increasing environmental factors as technology advances. Numerous studies of
biological effects of exposure to EMF have been performed on Drosophila
during the last 30 years, showing contrasting results. In an attempt to
determine whether EMF exposures might affect the development of Drosophila,
the present study examines phenotypic variations through direction and range
of changes in several fitness components and wing length and width, of
Drosophila subobscura isofemale lines, affected by 50 Hz EMF. Embryonal and
early post-embryonal stages were exposed to homogeneous sinusoidal 0.25 mT
EMF of 50 Hz. The EMF exposure caused a significantly prolonged developmental
time and significantly increased the wing size with the opposite direction of
directional asymmetry compared to the control group. These results shows that
even such a weak EMF has the potential to modulate, through developmental
pathways, some of the fitness-related traits, wing size, and wing asymmetry
in D. subobscura even after one generation of exposure, showing that
extremely low frequency (ELF) EMFs have relevant consequences on development,
adult morphology, and fitness.