An Experimental Study on the Effect of Radiofrequency and Temperature Exposure on Hatching Rate and Developmental Period of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Main Article Content

Nazri Che Dom
Nik Muhammad Hanif Nik Abdull Halim
Nurulain Rabihah Rosdi
Rahmat Dapari
Nopadol Precha

Abstract

Introduction: Aedes aegypti holds global significance as a disease-transmitting vector, particularly for various arthropod-borne viruses. Ongoing human-induced disturbances, such as habitat destruction, chemical pollution, urbanization, and climate change, have led to a shift in global insect communities. Recognized as a human impact factor, radiofrequency (RF) has been identified to influence the hatching rate and development of insects. This study addresses a research gap by investigating the effects of low RF exposure and temperature variations on Aedes aegypti populations, especially considering the increased reliance on RF technologies. The study's objective is to determine how RF and temperature exposure impact the hatching rate and development period of Ae. aegypti. Material and Methods: This study conducted under laboratory setup with 720 eggs were exposed to control and low RF exposure (900 MHz) with different temperature levels of 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, and 35°C. The study observed the effects on both hatching rate and development period. Results: The study discovered that eggs exposed to low RF hatched the most at 25°C. In comparison, the control group demonstrated the highest hatching rate at 30°C. The study found that at 20°C, the larval stage took the longest, while at 30°C, it was the shortest development. At 35°C, Aedes aegypti could not progress past the larval phase, resulting in a zero-emergence rate. Conclusion: This research sheds light on the potential effects of RF and temperature exposure on Aedes mosquito populations, emphasizing the need for further exploration in natural environments and understanding potential public health implications. Aedes aegypti holds global significance as a disease-transmitting vector, particularly for various arthropod-borne viruses. Ongoing human-induced disturbances, such as habitat destruction, chemical pollution, urbanization, and climate change, have led to a shift in global insect communities. Recognized as a human impact factor, radiofrequency (RF) has been identified to influence the hatching rate and development of insects. This study addresses a research gap by investigating the effects of low RF exposure and temperature variations on Aedes aegypti populations, especially considering the increased reliance on RF technologies. The study's objective is to determine how RF and temperature exposure impact the hatching rate and development period of Ae. aegypti. Material and Methods: This study conducted under laboratory setup with 720 eggs were exposed to control and low RF exposure (900 MHz) with different temperature levels of 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, and 35°C. The study observed the effects on both hatching rate and development period. Results: The study discovered that eggs exposed to low RF hatched the most at 25°C. In comparison, the control group demonstrated the highest hatching rate at 30°C. The study found that at 20°C, the larval stage took the longest, while at 30°C, it was the shortest development. At 35°C, Aedes aegypti could not progress past the larval phase, resulting in a zero-emergence rate. Conclusion: This research sheds light on the potential effects of RF and temperature exposure on Aedes mosquito populations, emphasizing the need for further exploration in natural environments and understanding potential public health implications.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Che Dom, N., Nik Abdull Halim, N. M. H., Rosdi, N. R., Dapari, R., & Nopadol Precha. (2025). An Experimental Study on the Effect of Radiofrequency and Temperature Exposure on Hatching Rate and Developmental Period of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 21(6), 1392.1 –1392.9. https://doi.org/10.47836/mjmhs.v21.i6.1392
Section
Original Articles

References

Ferede G, Tiruneh M, Abate E, Kassa WJ, Wondimeneh Y, Damtie D, Tessema et al. Distribution and larval breeding habitats of Aedes mosquito species in residential areas of northwest Ethiopia. Epidemiology and Health. 2018; 40. https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2018015

Sukiato F, Wasserman RJ, Foo SC, Wilson RF, Cuthbert RN. The effects of temperature and shading on mortality and development rates of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Vector Ecology. 2019;44(2):264-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvec.12384

Nosrat C, Altamirano J, Anyamba A, Caldwell JM, Damoah R, Mutuku F, et al. Impact of recent climate extremes on mosquito-borne disease transmission in Kenya. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2021;15(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009182

Reinhold JM, Lazzari CR, Lahondère C. Effects of the environmental temperature on Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes: a review. Insects. 2018;9(4):158. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects9040158

Gopalsamy B, Yazan LS, Razak NN, Man M. Association of temperature and rainfall with Aedes mosquito population in 17th College of Universiti Putra Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences. 2021;17(2).

Dar SA, Ansari MJ, Al Naggar Y, Hassan S, Nighat S, Zehra SB, et al. Causes and reasons of insect decline and the way forward. 2021.

Thielens A, Bell D, Mortimore DB, Greco MK, Martens L, Joseph W. Exposure of insects to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields from 2 to 120 GHz. Scientific Reports. 2018;8(1):3924. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22271-3

Karipidis K, Brzozek C, Bhatt CR, Loughran S, Wood A. What evidence exists on the impact of anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on animals and plants in the environment? A systematic map protocol. Environmental Evidence. 2021;10:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-021-00221-6

Rahman AS. Effects of nanofibers on properties of geopolymer composites. In: Nanotechnology in Eco-efficient Construction. Woodhead Publishing; 2019. pp. 123-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102641-0.00006-5

Alphey L. Genetic control of mosquitoes. Annual Review of Entomology. 2014;59:205-24. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-011613-162002

Marini G, Manica M, Arnoldi D, Inama E, Rosà R, Rizzoli A. Influence of temperature on the life-cycle dynamics of Aedes albopictus population established at temperate latitudes: A laboratory experiment. Insects. 2020; 11(11): 808. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11110808

De Borre E, Joseph W, Aminzadeh R, Müller P, Boone MN, Josipovic I, et al. Radio-frequency exposure of the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) from 2 to 240 GHz. PLOS Computational Biology. 2021; 17(10): e1009460. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009460

Odemer R, Odemer F. Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMF) on honey bee queen development and mating success. Science of the Total Environment. 2019; 661:553-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.154

Awang MF, Dom NC. The effect of temperature on the development of immature stages of Aedes spp. against breeding containers. International Journal of Global Warming. 2020;21(3):215-33. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGW.2020.109298

Lopes TF, Holcman MM, Barbosa GL, Domingos MD, Barreiros RM. A avaliação do desenvolvimento do Aedes aegypti em duas estações do ano: influência de diferentes locais e densidades. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo. 2014;56:369-74. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652014000500009

Rozilawati H, Masri SM, Tanaselvi K, Zairi J, Nazni WA, Lee HL. Effect of temperature on the immature development of Aedes albopictus Skuse. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 2016;47:731-46.

Piovezan-Borges AC, Valente-Neto F, Tadei WP, Hamada N, Roque FO. Simulated climate change, but not predation risk, accelerates Aedes aegypti emergence in a microcosm experiment in western Amazonia. PLoS One. 2020;15(10):e0241070. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241070

Alencar J, Ferreira de Mello C, Silva SO, Guimarães AÉ, Müller GA. Effects of seasonality on the oviposition activity of potential vector mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from the São João River Basin Environmental Protection Area of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The European Zoological Journal. 2022; 89(1): 1018-25.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2022.2137013

Chadee DD, Martinez R. Aedes aegypti (L.) in Latin American and Caribbean region: With growing evidence for vector adaptation to climate change? Acta Tropica. 2016;156:137-43.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.01.021

Staunton KM, Crawford JE, Cornel D, Yeeles P, Desnoyer M, Livni J, et al. Environmental influences on Aedes aegypti catches in Biogents Sentinel traps during a Californian "rear and release" program: Implications for designing surveillance programs. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2020; 14(6): e0008367. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008367

Mohiddin A, Jaal Z, Lasim AM, Dieng H, Zuharah WF. Assessing dengue outbreak areas using vector surveillance in northeast district, Penang Island, Malaysia. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease. 2015;5(11):869-76.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2222-1808(15)60948-3

Custódio JM, Nogueira LM, Souza DA, Fernandes MF, Oshiro ET, Oliveira EF, et al. Abiotic factors and population dynamics of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in an endemic area of dengue in Brazil. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo. 2019;61:e18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946201961018

Rahman MS, Pientong C, Zafar S, Ekalaksananan T, Paul RE, Haque U, et al. Mapping the spatial distribution of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and predicting its abundance in northeastern Thailand using machine-learning approach. One Health. 2021;13:100358.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100358

Roche B, Léger L, L’Ambert G, Lacour G, Foussadier R, Besnard G, et al. The spread of Aedes albopictus in metropolitan France: Contribution of environmental drivers and human activities and predictions for a near future. PLOS One. 2015;10(5):e0125600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125600

Nik Abdull Halim NMH, Mohd Jamili AF, Dom NC, Abd Rahman NH, Jamal Kareem Z, Dapari R, et al. The impact of radiofrequency exposure on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) development. PLOS One. 2024;19(2):e0298738.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298738