Abstract
Previous studies on microwave exposure on plants have revealed variations in sensitivity of plants to different microwave frequencies, exposure durations, and power intensities. However, the effects of different polarizations of microwaves on plants have not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the effect of horizontally and vertically polarized 2 GHz continuous microwaves on Myriophyllum aquaticum plants at 1.8 W m-2 power density. The electric potential variation along the vascular tissues were investigated for 1.5 h and growth parameters, pigmentation, and H2O2 formation were studied during 48 h microwave exposure. Exposure to horizontally polarized microwaves, decreased standard deviation of electric potential variation and increased H2O2 content significantly. Vertically polarized microwaves increased the standard deviation of electric potential variation and photosynthetic pigments significantly. However, none of the polarizations altered growth parameters (shoot length, stem diameter, and internodal length). Thermographic images taken for 1 h continuous microwave exposure did not indicate alteration in the temperature of the plants for both vertical and horizontal polarities.
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Abbreviations
- EMR:
-
electromagnetic radiation
- EP:
-
electric potential
- hPol:
-
horizontally polarized
- on-EMR:
-
during microwave exposure
- post-EMR:
-
post microwave exposure
- pre-EMR:
-
before microwave exposure
- ROS:
-
reactive oxygen species
- Rx:
-
receiving
- SDEP:
-
standard deviation of the electric potential fluctuations
- Tx:
-
transmission
- vPo:
-
vertically polarized
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Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Prof. Hirofumi Kadono and Dr. Makoto Miwa for their supports during the study and Prof. Yuichi Kimura and Mr. Sakuyoshi Saito for their support in the preparation of the microwave exposure system. This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.
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Senavirathna, M.D.H.J., Asaeda, T. Microwaves affect Myriophyllum aquaticum plants differently depending on the wave polarization. Biol Plant 61, 378–384 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0660-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0660-0