Can low-level 50/60 Hz electric and magnetic fields cause biological effects?

Radiation Research

Volumn 148, Issue 1, 1997, Pages 2-21

  Valberg, P A ^a,b   Kavet, R ^c   Rafferty, C N ^c  

^a GRADIENT   (United States)

^b HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH   (United States)

^c ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

FERROMAGNETIC MATERIAL; FREE RADICAL;

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD; FORCE; HAZARD; HUMAN; NONHUMAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RADIATION EXPOSURE; REVIEW; SIGNAL DETECTION; SIGNAL NOISE RATIO; SPATIAL SUMMATION;

ANIMALS; CELL PHYSIOLOGY; CELLS; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROCHEMISTRY; ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS; ENERGY TRANSFER; FREE RADICALS; HUMANS; IONS; SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION;

EID: 0030999410     PISSN: 00337587     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2307/3579533     Document Type: Review

References (103)

1. E. P. Washburn, M. J. Orza, J. Berlin, W. J. Nicholson, A. C. Todd, H. Frumkin and T. C. Chalmers, Residential proximity to electricity transmission and distribution equipment and risk of childhood leukemia, childhood lymphoma, and childhood nervous system tumors: systematic review, evaluation, and meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control 5, 299-309 (1994).
2. D. A. Savitz, Overview of occupational exposure to electric and magnetic fields and cancer: Advancements in exposure assessment. Environ. Health Perspect. 103 (Suppl. 2), 69-74 (1995).
3. L. I. Kheifets, A. A. Afifi, P. A. Buffler and Z. W. Zhang, Occupational electric and magnetic field exposure and brain cancer: A meta-analysis. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 37, 1327-1341 (1995).
4. A. B. Miller, T. To, D. A. Agnew, C. Wall and L. M. Green, Leukemia following occupational exposure to 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields among Ontario electric utility workers. Am. J. Epidemiol. 144, 150-160 (1996).
5. W. Bialek, Physical limits to sensation and perception. Annu. Rev. Biophys. Chem. 16, 455-478 (1978).
6. S. M. Block, Biophysical principles of sensory transduction. Soc. Gen. Physiol. Ser. 47, 1-17 (1992).
7. C. Polk and E. Postow, Eds., Handbook of Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields, 2nd ed., p. 6. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1996.
8. R. K. Adair, Constraints on biological effects of weak extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic fields. Phys. Rev. A 43, 1039-1048 (1991).
9. H. Wachtel, Bioelectric background fields and their implications for ELF dosimetry. Bioelectromagnetics Suppl. 1, 139-145 (1992).
10. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Residential Transient Magnetic Field Research, pp. 5-13. Report Number TR-103470, EPRI, Palo Alto, CA, 1994.
11. R. K. Adair, Biological effects on the cellular level of electric field pulses. Health Phys. 61, 395-399 (1991).
12. P. C. Gailey and C. E. Easterly, Response to Adair EMP health effects paper. Health Phys. 65, 437-439 (1993). [Letter]
13. F. S. Barnes, Interaction of dc and ELF electric fields with biological materials and systems. In Handbook of Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields, 2nd ed. (C. Polk and E. Postow, Eds.), pp. 103-148. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1996.
14. B. H. Gluckman, T. I. Netoff, E. J. Neel, W. L. Ditto, M. L. Spano and S. J. Schiff, Stochastic resonance in a neuronal network from mammalian brain. Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 4098-4101 (1996).
15. H. M. Fishman, D. J. M. Poussart and L. E. Moore, Noise measurements in squid axon membrane. J. Membr. Biol. 24, 281-304 (1975).
16. J. C. Weaver and R. D. Astumian, Estimates for ELF effects: Noise-based thresholds and the number of experimental conditions required for empirical searches. Bioelectromagnetics Suppl. 1, 119-138 (1992).
17. J. Bernhardt, The direct influence of electromagnetic fields on nerve- and muscle cells of man within the frequency range of 1 Hz to 30 MHz. Radiat. Environ. Biophys. 16, 309-323 (1979).
18. R. Nuccitelli, Endogenous ionic currents and DC electric fields in multicellular animal tissues. Bioelectromagnetics Suppl. 1, 147-157 (1992).
19. W. Krassowska and J. C. Neu, Response of a single cell to an external electric field. Biophys. J. 66, 1768-1776 (1994).
20. M. R. Cho, H. S. Thatte, R. C. Lee and D. E. Golan, Induced redistribution of cell surface receptors by alternating current electric fields. FASEB J. 8, 771-776 (1994).
21. K. Y. C. Lee, J. F. Klinger and H. M. McConnell, Electric field-induced concentration gradients in lipid monolayers. Science 263, 655-658 (1994).
22. A. R. Sheppard and W. R. Adey, Electrical models for nerve cells exposed to ELF electric fields. In Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine (M. Blank, Ed.), pp. 540-542. San Francisco Press, San Francisco, 1993.
23. K. J. McLeod, R. C. Lee and H. P. Ehrlich, Frequency dependence of electric field modulation of fibroblast protein synthesis. Science 236, 1465-1469 (1987).
24. R. D. Fields, T. H. Bullock and G. D. Lange, Ampullary sense organs; Peripheral, central, and behavioral electroreception in chimeras. Brain Behav. Evol. 41, 269-289 (1993).
25. A. J. Kalmijn, Biophysics of geomagnetic field detection. IEEE Trans. Magn. 17, 1113-1124 (1981).
26. A. J. Kalmijn, Electric and magnetic field detection in Elasmo-branch fishes. Science 218, 916-918 (1982).
27. A. J. Kalmijn, Detection of weak electric fields. In Sensory Biology of Aquatic Animals (J. Atema, R. R. Fay, A. N. Popper and W. N. Tavolga, Eds.), pp. 151-186. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1987.
28. R. G. Olsen and P. S. Wong, Characteristics of low frequency electric and magnetic fields in the vicinity of electric power lines. IEEE Trans. Power Deliv. 7, 2046-2055 (1992).
29. O. P. Gandhi and J. Y. Chen, Numerical dosimetry at power-line frequencies using anatomically based models. Bioelectomagnetics Suppl. 1, 43-60 (1992).
30. J. P. Reilly, Electrical Stimulation and Electropathology, pp. 366-392. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992.
31. D. Seidel, M. Knoll and J. Eichmeier, Stimulation of subjective appearance of light (phosphenes) in man by alternating magnetic fields. Pflugers Arch. 299, 11-20 (1968).
32. J. Sandweiss, On the cyclotron resonance model of ion transport. Bioelectromagnetics 11, 203-205 (1990).
33. V. T. Moy, E. L. Florin and H. E. Gaub, Intermolecular forces and energies between ligands and receptors. Science 266, 257-259 (1994).
34. W. Denk, W. W. Webb and A. J. Hudspeth, Mechanical properties of sensory hair bundles are reflected in their Brownian motion measured with a laser differential interferometer. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 5371-5375 (1989).
35. W. Denk, J. R. Holt, G. M. G. Shepherd and D. P. Corey, Calcium imagining of single stereocilia in hair cells: Localization of transduction channels at both ends of tip links. Neuron 15, 1311-1321 (1995).
36. A. Ashkin, K. Schutze, J. M. Dziedzic, U. Euteneuer and M. Schliwa, Force generation of organelle transport measured in vivo by an infrared laser trap. Nature 348, 346-348 (1990).
37. S. C. Kuo and M. P. Sheetz, Force of single Kinesin molecules measured with optical tweezers. Science 260, 232-234 (1993).
38. K. Svoboda, C. F. Schmidt, B. J. Schnapp and S. M. Block, Direct observation of kinesin stepping by optical trapping interferometry. Nature 365, 696-697 and 721-727 (1994).
39. J. T. Finer, R. M. Simmons and J. A. Spudich, Single myosin molecule mechanics: piconewton forces and nanometre steps. Nature 368, 98-99 and 113-119 (1994).
40. O. P. Hamill and D. W. McBride, The cloning of a mechano-gated membrane ion channel. Trends Neurosci. 17, 439-443 (1994).
41. H. Yin, M. D. Wang, K. Svoboda, R. Landick, S. M. Block and J. Gelles, Transcription against an applied force. Science 270, 1653-1657 (1995).
42. S. B. Smith, L. Finzi and C. Bustamante, Direct mechanical measurements of the elasticity of single DNA molecules by using magnetic beads. Science 258, 1122-1126 (1992).
43. R. C. Tan, T. N. Truong and J. A. McCammon, Acetyl-cholinesterase: Electrostatic steering increases rate of ligand binding. Biochemistry 32, 401-403 (1993).
44. G. U. Lee, L. A. Chirisey and R. J. Colton, Direct measurement of the forces between complementary strands of DNA. Science 266, 771-773 (1994).
45. D. F. Blair and H. C. Berg, Restoration of torque in defective flagellar motors. Science 242, 1678-1681 (1988).
46. J. L. Kirschvink, A. Kobayashi-Kirschvink and B. J. Woodford, Magnetite biomineralization in the human brain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 7683-7687 (1992).
47. R. K. Adair, Effects of ELF magnetic fields on biological magnetite. Bioelectromagnetics 14, 1-4 (1993).
48. C. Polk, Effects of extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields on biological magnetite. Bioelectromagnetics 15, 261-270 (1994).
49. G. Bate, Recording materials. In Ferromagnetic Materials (E. P. Wohlfarth, Ed.), pp. 381-507. Elsevier North-Holland, New York, 1980.
50. J. L. Kirschvink, Constraints on biological effects of weak extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields: Comment. Phys. Rev. A 46, 2178-2184 (1992).
51. R. K. Adair, Constraints of thermal noise on the effects of weak 60-Hz magnetic fields acting on biological magnetite. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 2925-2929 (1994).
52. E. M. Purcell, Life at low Reynolds number. Am. J. Phys. 45, 3-11 (1977).
53. P. A. Valberg and J. P. Butler, Magnetic particle motions within living cells. Biophys. J. 52, 537-550 (1987).
54. R. K. Adair, Biological responses to weak 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields must vary as the square of the field strength. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 9422-9425 (1994).
55. K. A. McLauchlan, Are environmental magnetic fields dangerous? Phys. World 41-45 (1992).
56. J. C. Scaiano, F. L. Cozens, J. McLean and A. Thansandote, Application of the radical pair mechanism to free radicals in organized systems: can the effects of 60-Hz magnetic fields be predicted from studies under static fields? Bioelectromagnetics 15, 549-554 (1994).
57. K. A. McLauchlan and U. E. Steiner, The spin-correlated radical pair as a reaction intermediate. Mol. Phys. 73, 241-263 (1991).
58. 12 ethanolamine ammonia lyase: Evidence for a radical mechanism. Science 263, 958-960 (1994).
59. C. B. Grissom, Magnetic-field effects in biology: A survey of possible mechanisms with an emphasis on radical-pair recombination. Chem. Rev. 95, 3-24 (1995).
60. F. L. Cozens and J. C. Scaiano, A comparative study of MF effects on the dynamics of geminate and random radical pair processes in micelles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115, 5204-5211 (1993).
61. M. Corominas, S. R. Sloan, J. Leon, H. Kamino, E. W. Newcomb and A. Pellicer, ras activation in human tumors and in animal model systems. Environ. Health Perspect. 93, 19-25 (1991).
62. J. C. Murphy, D. A. Kaden, J. Warren and A. Sivak, Power frequency electric and magnetic fields: A review of genetic toxicology. Mutat. Res. 296, 221-240 (1993).
63. J. McCann, F. Dietrich, C. Rafferty and A. O. Martin, A critical review of the genotoxic potential of electric and magnetic fields. Mutat. Res. 297, 61-95 (1993).
64. A. R. Liboff, Cyclotron resonance in membrane transport. In Interactions between Electromagnetic Fields and Cells (A. Chiabrera, C. Nicolini and H. P. Schwan. Eds.), pp. 281-296. Plenum Press, London, 1985.
65. S. D. Smith, B. R. McLeod, A. R. Liboff and K. Cooksey, Calcium cyclotron resonance and diatom mobility. Bioelectromagnetics 8, 215-227 (1987).
66. 2+-45 cyclotron resonance in human lymphocytes. J. Bioelectr. 6, 13-22 (1987).
67. A. R. Liboff, B. R. McLeod and S. D. Smith, Ion cyclotron resonance effects of ELF fields in biological systems. In Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields: The Question of Cancer (B. W. Wilson, R. G. Stevens and L. E. Anderson, Eds.), pp. 251-289. Battelle Press, Columbus, OH, 1990.
68. C. H. Durney, C. K. Rushforth and A. A. Anderson, Resonant AC-DC magnetic fields: Calculated response. Bioelectromagnetics 9, 315-336 (1988).
69. B. Halle, On the cyclotron resonance mechanism for magnetic field effects on transmembrane conductivity. Bioelectromagnetics 9, 381-385 (1988).
70. S. Galt, J. Sandblom and Y. Hamnerius, Theoretical study of the resonant behaviour of an ion confined to a potential well in a combination of AC and DC magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 14, 299-314 (1993).
71. W. C. Parkinson and C. T. Hanks, Search for cyclotron resonance in cells in vitro. Bioelectromagnetics 10, 129-145 (1989).
72. +-transport system. Bioelectromagnetics 12, 77-83 (1991).
73. A. V. Prasad, M. W. Miller, E. L. Carstensen, C. Cox, M. Azadniv and A. A. Brayman, Failure to reproduce increased calcium uptake in human lymphocytes at purported cyclotron resonance exposure conditions. Radiat. Environ. Biophys. 30, 305-320 (1991).
74. C. Bruckner-Lea, C. H. Durney, J. Janata, C. Rappaport and M. Kaminski, Calcium binding to metallochromic dyes and calmodulin in the presence of combined, AC-DC magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 13, 147-162 (1992).
75. C. H. Durney, M. Kaminski, A. A. Anderson, C. Bruckner-Lea, J. Janata and C. Rappaport, Investigation of AC-DC magnetic field effects in planar phospholipid bilayers. Bioelectromagnetics 13, 31-33 (1992).
76. W. C. Parkinson and G. L. Sulik, Diatom response to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields. Radiat. Res. 130, 319-330 (1992).
77. S. Galt, J. Sandblom, Y. Hamnerius, P. Höjevik, E. Saalman and B. Nordén, Experimental search for combined AC and DC magnetic field effects on ion channels. Bioelectromagnetics 14, 315-327 (1993).
78. A. V. Prasad, M. W. Miller, C. Cox, E. L. Carstensen, H. Hoops and A. A. Brayman, A test of the influence of cyclotron resonance exposures on diatom motility. Health Phys. 66, 305-312 (1994).
79. V. V. Lednev, Possible mechanism for the influence of weak magnetic fields on biological systems. Bioelectromagnetics 12, 71-75 (1991).
80. V. V. Lednev, Possible mechanism for the effect of weak magnetic fields on biological systems: Correction of the basic expression and its consequences. In Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine (M. Blank, Ed.), pp. 550-552. San Francisco Press, San Francisco, 1993.
81. V. V. Lednev, Interference with the vibrational energy sublevels of ions bound in calcium-binding proteins as the basis for the interaction of weak magnetic fields with biological systems. In On the Nature of Electromagnetic Field Interactions with Biological Systems (A. H. Frey, Ed.), pp. 59-72. R. G. Landes, Austin, TX, 1994.
82. J. P. Blanchard and C. F. Blackman, Clarification and application of an ion parametric resonance model for magnetic field interactions with biological systems. Bioelectromagnetics 15, 217-238 (1994).
83. V. V. Lednev, Comments on "Clarification and application of ion parametric resonance model for magnetic field interactions with biological systems" by Blanchard and Blackman. Bioelectromagnetics 16, 268-269 (1995). [Letter]
84. R. K. Adair, Criticism of Lednev's mechanism for the influence of weak magnetic fields on biological systems. Bioelectromagnetics 13, 231-235 (1992).
85. E. M. Purcell, Electricity and Magnetism: Berkeley Physics Course, Vol. 2, pp. 459-461. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1985.
86. S. P. Hendee, F. A. Faour, D. A. Christensen, B. Patrick, C. H. Durney and D. K. Blumenthal, The effects of weak ELF magnetic fields on calcium/calmodulin interactions. Biophys. J. 70, 2915-2923 (1996).
87. M. G. Yost and R. P. Liburdy, Time-varying and static magnetic fields act in combination to alter calcium signal transduction in the lymphocyte. FEBS Lett. 296, 117-122 (1992).
88. C. F. Blackman, J. P. Blanchard, S. G. Benane and D. E. House, Empirical test of an ion parametric resonance model for magnetic field interactions with PC-12 cells. Bioelectromagnetics 15, 239-260 (1994).
89. D. T. Edmonds, Larmor precession as a mechanism for the detection of static and alternating magnetic fields. Biochem. Bioenerg. 30, 3-12 (1993).
90. J. Male, Biological effects of magnetic fields: A possible mechanism? Biologist 39 (3), 87-89 (1992).
91. C. Polk, Dosimetry of extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics Suppl. 1, 209-235 (1992).
92. W. Pickard, A model for the acute electrosensitivity of cartilaginous fishes. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 35, 243-249 (1988).
93. J. Bastian, Electrosensory organisms. Phys. Today 47, 30-37 (1994).
94. R. D. Astumian, J. C. Weaver and R. K. Adair, Rectification and signal averaging of weak electric fields by biological cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 3740-3743 (1995).
95. T. A. Litovitz, D. Krause and J. M. Mullins, Effect of coherence time of the applied magnetic field on ornithine decarboxylase activity. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 178, 862-865 (1991).
96. T. A. Litovitz, C. J. Montrose, P. Doinov, K. M. Brown and M. Barber, Superimposing spatially coherent electromagnetic noise inhibits field-induced abnormalities in developing chick embryos. Bioelectromagnetics 15, 105-113 (1994).
97. J. J. Collins, C. C. Chow and T. T. Imhoff, Stochastic resonance without tuning. Nature 376, 236-238 (1995).
98. D. L. Miller, J. A. Creim and L. A. Anderson, A comparison of electric fields induced by 60-Hz magnetic field exposure to the normal cardiac electric field in rats. Bioelectromagnetics 18, 317-323 (1997).
99. T. D. Bracken, R. S. Senior, R. F. Rankin, W. H. Bailey and R. Kavet, Magnetic-field exposures in the electric utility industry relevant to occupational levels. Appl. Occup. Hyg. (in press).
100. C. L. Curtis, J. E. Ritchie and M. J. Sailor, Fabrication of conducting polymer interconnects. Science 262, 2014-2016 (1993).
101. M. M. Walker and M. E. Bitterman, Honeybees can be trained to respond to very small changes in geomagnetic field intensity. J. Exp. Biol. 145, 489-494 (1989).
102. J. L. Kirschvink and A. Kobayashi-Kirschvink, Is geomagnetic sensitivity real? Replication of the Walker-Bitterman conditioning experiment in honeybees. Am. Zool. 31, 169-185 (1991).
103. A. Kobayashi and J. L. Kirschvink, Magentoreception and electromagnetic field effects: Sensory perception of the geomagnetic field in animals and humans. In American Chemical Society Advances in Chemistry Series 250: Electromagnetic Fields: Biological Interactions and Mechanisms (M. Blank, Ed.), pp. 367-394. Americal Chemical Society, New York, 1995.