Finalprintedbook PDF
Finalprintedbook PDF
Finalprintedbook PDF
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
1
Dear Congress Participants!
Welcome to Budapest at the 6
th
Congress of European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA)!
On behalf of the EBEA 6
th
Congress Organising Committee, I have the honour to present you the
Program and the Abstracts of the meeting. The possibility of adverse effects of exposure to
electromagnetic fields has become a major issue of health policies, both at the level of individual
countries and internationally. The European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA) gathers most
of European scientists involved in research on biological and health effects. Since its foundation in
1989, EBEA has organised five congresses with increasing success. At the 6
th
EBEA congress in
Budapest, we anticipate more than 250 participants and we have received almost 200 scientific
contributions.
The EBEA Congress is the most important forum to discuss, from a European perspective, the
advancement of research on biological and health effects of electromagnetic fields, and its
implications for health policies. The scientific meeting will be co-organised with the International
Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the EU research project COST 281 Potential Health Implications from Mobile
Communication Systems.
At present, there are a growing number of scientists conducting studies in the area of
bioelectromagnetics. These studies focus on two main aspects of human health: therapeutic
applications and potentially harmful effects of exposures to electromagnetic fields. The scope of the
6
th
EBEA Congress provides a forum for presentation and discussion of the latest findings on
biological effects of electromagnetic fields including dosimetry, interaction mechanisms, health
effects of mobile communication systems and medical applications. Special attention will be given
to topics of great international significance with presentations by the four invited keynote speakers.
I would like to thank the members of Scientific Organising Committee and the Local Organising
Committee for their work in selecting the papers and preparing the program. I would like to thank
the organisations and institutions that have sponsored the congress.
I hope all of you will find the Congress informative and interesting. I sincerely believe that it will
provide a useful forum for exchange of ideas and the latest results in bioelectromagnetism, as well
as an opportunity to meet experts from all over the world.
I hope you will enjoy the Congress and your stay in our beautiful capital city of Budapest.
Dr. Gyrgy Thurczy
chairman of the Congress
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
3
Scientific Committee
Gyrgy Thurczy, National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Hungary, chair
Ruggero Cadossi, IGEA, Carpi, Italy
Guglielmo d'Ambrosio, University of Naples, Italy
Guglielmo d'Inzeo, Universita La Sapienza, Italy
Birgitta Floderus, Karolinska Institute, National Institute for Working Life, Sweden
Yngve Hamnerius, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Maila Hietanen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland
Martine Hours, Lyon, France
Jukka Juutilainen, University of Kuopio, Finland
Niels Kuster, ETH Zrich, Switzerland
Isabelle Lagroye, University of Bordeaux, France
John Male, Croydon, UK
Thomas McManus, Department of Public Enterprise, Ireland
Carmela Marino, ENEA Rome, Italy
Damijan Miklavcic, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Kjell Hansson-Mild, National Institute for Working Life, Sweden
Lluis M. Mir, CNRS, France
Anne Perrin, Health Service Research Center of the Army, France
Michael H. Repacholi, WHO, Geneva
Maria Rosaria Scarfi, CNR Naples, Italy
Ren de Seze, INERIS, France
Paolo Vecchia, National Institute of Health, Italy
Luc Verschaeve, Flemish Institute for Technological Research VITO, Belgium
Bernard Veyret, University of Bordeaux, France
Joe Wiart, France Telecom, France
National Organizing Committee
Jzsef Bakos
Zsolt Forgcs
Gyrgy Kteles
Bla Szentpli
Zoltn Somosy
Lszl D.Szab
Judit Szab
Gyrgy Thurczy
Congress Organisers
European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA)
In collaboration with
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
World Health Organisation (WHO)
COST 281 Potential Health Implications from Mobile Communication Systems
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
4
Chairperson
Gyrgy Thurczy
Fodor Jozsef National Center for Public Health
National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene
H-1221 Budapest, Anna u. 5., Hungary
E-mail: thuroczy@hp.osski.hu
Congress Secretariat
Diamond Congress Ltd. EBEA 2003
H-1255 Budapest, P.O. Box 48, Hungary
Phone: +36 1 214 7701 Fax: +36 1 201 2680
E-mail: diamond@diamond-congress.hu
Website: http://www.diamond-congress.hu/ebea2003
PATRONAGE
Dr. Mikls Persnyi, Minister of Environment and Water
SPONSORS OF THE CONFERENCE
Antenna Hungria Rt.
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
European Office of Aerospace Research & Development (EOARD)
Fodor Jozsef National Center for Public Health - National Research Institute for Radiobiology and
Radiohygiene
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Hungary
Ministry of Environment and Water of the Republic of Hungary
Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF)
OncoTherm Ltd.
Research Association for Radio Applications (FGF)
World Health Organisation (WHO)
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
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Table of Contents
Plenary Session 17
The role of science in health policy and development of WHO recommendations on EMF
M.H. Repacholi, T.E. van Deventer - PL-1 19
EMF public protection: European situation and initiatives
M. Seguinot - PL-2 21
New approach in EMF research proteomics and transcriptomics
D. Leszczynski, R. Kuokka, S. Joenvr, J. Reivinen - PL-3 23
Medical application of non-ionising electromagnetic energy: clinical biophysics
R. Cadoss - PL-4 26
Oral Session
Session 1 - Dosimetry and exposure systems I 29
Occupational exposure to static and ELF magnetic fields on railway engines
P. Rossi, R. Falsaperla, V. Brugaletta, P. Betti, A. Gaggelli - O-1-01 31
Pulsed magnetic field exposure from digital mobile phone
K. Jokela, L. Puranen, A.-P. Sihvonen - O-1-02 32
Towards a computer aided dosimetry: the virtual bioelectromagnetic laboratory
L. Ardoino, F. Bardati, G. Lovisolo, G. Marrocco - O-1-03 33
SARs from resonant tetra radio accessories
P. Chadwick - O-1-04 34
EMF exposure by on-body mounted devices
A. Christ, J. Frhlich, A. Klingenbck, N. Kuster - O-1-05 35
Comparion of theoretical and experimental electropermeabilization on cells in vitro
D. Miklavi, B. Vali, M. Golzio, M. Pavlin, A. Schatz, C. Faurie, B. Gabriel, J. Teissi, M.-P. Rols - O-1-06 36
Dosimetry of the 40-mice 900 MHz Ferris-Wheel exposure system
A. Faraone, S. Chebrolu, W. Luengas, M. Ballen, G. Bit-Babik, M. Kanda, Tad Babij, M. Swicord,
C. K. Chou - O-1-07 37
Extension of the parametric rapid SAR measurement to the SAM phantom
O. Mercke, J.-Ch. Bolomey, G. Fleury - O-1-08 38
Session 2 - Combined exposures and Genotoxic effects 39
Optimal sampling time for the exposure assessment of the magnetic field for epidemiological purposes
G. Decata, M. Crassonb, E. Peetersa, W. Van Loockc - O-2-01 41
Combined effects of ELF magnetic fields with other physical and chemical agents: review of in vitro and
short-term in vivo studies J. Juutilainen, T. Kumlin, J. Naarala - O-2-02 42
Kinetics of reactive oxygen species formation in L929 cell cultures following exposure and co-exposure
to RF radiation (900 MHz) and MX O. Zeni, R. Di Pietro, G. dAmbrosio, R. Massa, M. Capri, C. Franceschi,
J. Juutilainen, M.R. Scarf - O-2-03 43
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
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Chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lympocytes of workers exposed to ELF magnetic fields in
various occupations F. Gobba , L. Roccatto, B. Sinigaglia, M. Scaringi, P. Rossi - O-2-04 44
In vitro genotoxic effects of extremely-low-frequency electro-magnetic fields
S. Ivancsits., E. Diem, O. Jahn, H.W. Rdiger - O-2-05 45
Evaluation of micronucleus induction in human lymphocytes following in vitro exposures to
radiofrequency radiation: a study in the framework of CTIA- FDA project M.R. Scarf, M. Sarti, O. Zeni,
M. Roman, A.M. Fresegna, C. Marino, R. Pinto, P. Villani, G.A. Lovisolo - O-2-06 46
Cytogenetic studies in human blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to radiofrequency radiation used
at two cellular telephone frequencies (835.62 MHz & 847.74 MHz) Vijayalaxmi - O-2-07 47
In vitro exposure of proliferating human peripheral blood lymphocytes to 1800 MHz radiofrequency
M. Capri, E. Scarcella, E. Bianchi, C. Lanzarini, S. Carosella, P. Mesirca, C. Agostini, C. Franceschi,
F. Bersani - O-2-08 48
Session 3 - Health policy, standards and compliance 49
Ulf Bergqvist Memorial Session
Exposure assessment of mobile phones: a comparison of EU and US requirements
K. Lamedschwandner, G. Schmid, G. Neubauer - O-3-01 51
Will completion of ongoing epidemiologic and long-term animal studies provide sufficient data to evaluate
the carcinogenic potential of RF energy? M. Swicord, J. Morrissey, J. Elder - O-3-02 52
Planning new dwellings near overhead power lines
G. Kelfkens, R. Pennders, M. Pruppers - O-3-03 54
Peruvian mobile communications base stations and its international guidelines compliance
V. C. Ornetta - O-3-04 55
ELF electric and magnetic fields residential exposure induced by high voltage (HV) power lines: a survey
campaign in urban area C. Malacarne, L. Cristoforetti, A. Vaccari, L. Sandrini, M. Mazzurana,
T. Friz, R. Pontalti - O-3-05 56
Hungarians on base stations: a public opinion poll
K. Lnrt - O-3-06 57
Session 4 - In-vivo studies 59
Chronic exposure to radiocellular telephones and psychomotor performance
R. de Seze, A. Besset, F. Espa, K. Martin, S. Martin, G. Szwarcberg, J. Erkes, A. Teisserenc, Y. Dauvilliers,
M. Billiard - O-4-01 61
Research project on the detection and analysis of alleged cognitive, biochemical, and immunological
consequences of chronic exposure of three generations of rats to electromagnetic GSM- and UMTS-fields
of mobile communication M. Bornhausen, M. Stangassinger, M. Erhard, M. Stohrer, J. Detlefsen,
S. Schelkshorn, J. Eberle, O. Petrowicz - O-4-02 62
Sub-chronic effects of local exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields with a loop antenna on the
cerebral microcirculation in rats H. Masuda, S. Hirota, A. Ushiyama, K. Wake, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka,
M. Taki, C. Ohkubo - O-4-03 63
Chronically exposure to the 1.5 GHz electromagnetic near-field use for cellular phones does not promote
Ethylnitrosourea-induced central nervous system tumors in F344 rats T. Shirai, M. Kawabe, Ichihara,
O. Fujiwara, M. Taki, S-i. Watanabe, K. Wake, Y. Yamanaka, K. Imaida, S. Tamano - O-4-04 64
Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on experimental degenerative osteoarthrosis
F. Cavani, M. Fini, S. Setti, V. Can, R. Cadossi - O-4-05 65
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
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Study of the potential leukemogenic effects of 50 Hz magnetic fields and harmonics in a rat lymphoblastic
leukemia model N. Bernard, C. Jacquemont, L. Devevey, P. Chretien, M.-L. Tanguy, J.-J. Guillosson,
J. Naftiger - O-4-06 66
Session 5 - Dosimetry and exposure systems II 67
Relevant exposure parameters for the comparison of animal studies
V. Berdias-Torres, J. Frhlich, A. Klingenbck, N. Nikoloski, N. Kuster - O-5-01 69
Tissue-equivalent liquids for SAR measurement in practice
K. Fukunaga, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka - O-5-02 70
Prediction of field distributions in complex environments
G. Neubauer, R. berbacher, P. Preiner, J. Wiart, G. Schmid, K. Lamedschwandner, H. Haider,
W. Giczi - O-5-03 71
Analysis of parameters influencing exposure to EMF from mobile phones
L. Ardoino, E. Barbieri, P. Vecchia - O-5-04 72
A semi-automatic method for developing a numerical model of dielectric anatomy by MRI
L. Sandrini, M. Mazzurana, A. Vaccari, C. Malacarne, L. Cristoforetti, R. Pontalti - O-5-05 73
Dosimetry for two generation experiment: RF exposure of up to nine non-restrained rats of various body mass
kept in the same cage T. Reinhardt, A. Bitz, J. Streckert, V. Hansen, J. Buschmann - O-5-06 74
Calculation of current densities induced in an anatomical model of the human body caused by emission from
household appliances in the low frequency range S. Nishizawa, N. Angwafo, H.-O. Ruoss, W. Spreitzer,
F. Landstorfer, O. Hashimoto - O-5-07 75
Statistical analysis of SAR data : the effective mass concept
V. Monebhurrun, J.-Ch. Bolomey, A. Azoulay, L. Duchesne, M. Legoff, P. Garreau - O-5-08 76
Session 6 - Epidemiological studies, Human studies 77
Neurodegenerative diseases in welders and other workers exposed to high levels of magnetic fields
N. Hkansson, P. Gustavsson, C. Johansen, B. Floderus - O-6-01 79
How to combine the use of different mobile and cordless telephones in epidemiological studies?
K. H. Mild, J. Wiln, M. Carlberg, M. Sandstrm, L. Hardell - O-6-02 80
Sleeping disorders and mobile phone base stations: a pilot study
M. Rsli, Y. Baldinini, M. Egger, C. Braun-Fahrlnder - O-6-03 81
Exposure 50 Hz electromagnetic fields and cutaneous malignant melanoma in adults
T. Tynes, L. Klaeboe, T. Haldorsen - O-6-04 82
Influence of location during calls on output power of mobile phones
L. Hillert, A. Ahlbom, M. Feychting, L. Jarup, A. Larsson, D. Neasham, P. Elliott - O-6-05 83
Study of effects of modulated microwaves on perceptual system of visual information processing
J. Lass, A. Rodina, T. Bachmann, H. Hinrikus - O-6-06 84
Mobile phone use and increase in skin temperature due to insulation, heat conduction, and RF absorption
G. Oftedal, A. Straume, A. Johnsson - O-6-07 85
The pituitary-gonadal axis in electric utility workers chronically exposed to 50-Hz magnetic fields
M. Souques, Y. Touitou, H. Charbuy, F. Camus, J. Lambrozo - O-6-08 86
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
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Session 7 - GUARD: Potential effects of cellular phones on the hearing system 87
GUARD Project: Sensitive methods for studying effects of GSM on hearing in humans
M.E. Lutman, S. Bell, M. Tsalighopoulos - O-7-01 89
GUARD Project: GSM cellular phones and the hearing system: effects of exposure of Sprague-Dawley
rats and combined effects of gentamicin and microwaves exposure in Guinea-pigs. Progress report
P. Galloni, A. Brazzale, N. Carrere, P E. Dulou, Y. Hondarrague, M. Parazzini, M. Piscitelli, G. Tognola,
B. Veyret, J. M. Aran, C. Marino, P. Ravazzani - O-7-02 90
SVM-based criterion for classification and variable selection in AEPs recorded under electromagnetic fields
E. Maby, R. Le Bouquin-Jeanns, G. Faucon - O-7-03 91
Effects of the electromagnetic field of mobile telephones on hearing of humans and rats
O. Ozturan , A. Kizilay , T. Erdem, M.C. Miman, M.T. Kalcioglu - O-7-04 92
Study to evaluate the effects of mobile telephone usage on labyrinthine function
L Luxon, B. Ceranic, R. Cox, P. Chadwick - O-7-05 93
Chronic exposure to radiocellular telephones and auditory system
R. de Seze, J.-P. Artaud, F. Espa, K. Martin, S. Martin, G. Szwarcberg, A. Teisserenc, M. Mondain - O-7-06 94
Session 8 - Interaction mechanisms 95
On a numerical method for the Zeeman-Stark model of Ligand binding under EM explosure
B. Bianco, S. Giordano, E. Moggia, I. Mallarini - O-8-01 97
A possible mechanism for the interaction between an ELF electromagnetic field and membrane dipolar structures
M. Cappelli, M. Liberti, F. Apollonio, G. DInzeo - O-8-02 98
Application of a computational chemistry study to model exogenous field action on molecular heme system
L. Dominici, F. Apollonio, G. d'Inzeo, M. Aschi, A. Amadei - O-8-03 99
TCAD of Mobile phones: heading for a generic modeling approach
P. Futter, N. Chavannes, N. Nikoloski, N. Kuster, J. Keshvari, A. Toropainen - O-8-04 100
Electrical response of non spherical biological cell models from direct RF exposure
J.L. Sebastin, S. Muoz San Martn, M. Sancho, J. M. Miranda - O-8-05 101
A possible energy accumulation mechanism
V.O. Ponomarev, A.V. Karnaukhov - O-8-06 102
Session 9 - In-vitro studies 103
Time-varying ELF fields effects on a single-cell Dictyostelium discoideum (protista)
A. Amaroli, F. Trielli, B. Bianco, S. Giordano, E. Moggia, M. U. Delmonte Corrado - O-9-01 105
Effects of electromagnetic fields and insulin growth factor-I on proteoglycan synthesis in Bovine articular cartilage
M. De Mattei, A. Pellati, M. Pasello, L. Massari, D. Gemmati, A. Ongaro, A. Caruso - O-9-02 106
The effect of GSM-900 RFR on camptothecin-induced apoptosis in human U937 lymphoblastoma cells
I. Lagroye, E. Haro, B. Billaudel, B. Veyret - O-9-03 107
In vitro studies on promyelocytic cells with the help of gene expression profiling on cDNA microarrays show an
increase of protein synthesis after RF-EMF exposure C. Maercker, K. Schlatterer, R. Gminski, J. Schuderer,
N. Kuster, F. Adlkofer, R. Fitzner, R. Tauber - O-9-04 108
Microwave exposure system for patch clamp recording equipment
F. Duelli, M. Liberti, F. Apollonio, G. DInzeo - O-9-05 109
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
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Alteration of synaptic transmission by neuron excitation-synchronized high-power microwave pulses:
a replication study A. Pakhomov, J. Doyle, M. Murphy - O-9-06 110
Mechanisms of cell activation processes after exposure to electromagnetic fields
M. Simk, M. Lupke, J. Rollwitz, M. Lantow - O-9-07 111
Static magnetic fields modulate the kinetics of apoptosis and secondary necrosis in HL60 and glioblastroma cells
G. Clavarino, A. Bergamaschi, C. Cerella, Z. Darzynkiewicz, M. De Nicola, L. Ghibelli, W. Goedhe, P. Smolewsky,
D. Tirindelli, L. Teodori - O-9-08 112
Session 10 - Medical applications 113
Microwaves in breast cancer detection. A comparison between active and passive methods.
F. Bardati, G. Marrocco, M.P. Massaro - O-10-01 115
Experience with treatment of non-unions with capacitively coupled electric field. Italian experience
A. Impagliazzo, A. Mattei, G. Spurio Pompili, S. Setti, R. Cadossi - O-10-02 116
Elecrtomagnetic fields in biomedicine: cytoprotection and gene therapy
R. Goodman, H. Lin, M. Blank - O-10-03 117
Magnetic and electromagnetic field therapy of pain
M.S. Markov - O-10-04 118
Microwave detection of breast tumours
R. Nilavalan, I. J.Craddock, A. Preece, J. Leendertz, R. Benjamin - O-10-05 119
Technical and clinical aspects of microwave thermotherapy
J. Vrba, R. Hlavac, , R. Chovanec, J. Herza, J. Cvek, L. Opp, J. Kvech, J. Kubes - O-10-06 120
Poster session 121
Combined effects of 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation and vimclozolin on NIH 3T3 cell cultures
M. Capri, E. Scarcella, E. Bianchi, C. Lanzarini, S. Carosella, P. Mesirca, C. Agostini, F. Bersani, O. Zeni,
G. DAmbrosio, R. Massa, M.R. Scarf, J. Juutilainen, C. Franceschi - P-001 123
Magnetic field near electrical welding equipment a change from ELF to VLF
K.H. Mild, O. Stensson, M. Sandstrm, J. Wiln - P-002 124
Combined personal EMF exposure inside the office buildings in the Warszawa urban area
J. Karpowicz, K. Gryz, A. Lewandowski - P-003 125
An indirect effect of microwaves, under different exposure conditions, to mutagenesis using the AMES test
A. Perrin, C. Bachelet, P. Levque, R. Malabiau, J.C. Debouzy - P-004 126
Effects of exposure to pulsed microwaves on movement initiation in rats exposed to the mitochondrial toxin
rotenone R.L. Seaman, S.M. Fleming, K. Prosolovitch, M.F. Chesselet, S.T. Lu1, S.P. Mathur, C.D. DiCarlo,
A.S.Garcia, A.R. Grado , T.H. Garza - P-005 127
GUARD Project: Controlled set-up for localized exposure in rats
R. Pinto, L. Ardoino, S. Mancini, P. Galloni, C. Marino, G. A. Lovisolo - P-006 128
A method for evaluating the electric field in biological samples at ELF/LF frequencies
B. Bianco, M. Nervi, S. Di Martino, E. Moggia, S. Giordano, P. Girdinio - P-007 129
Technical aspect of EMF biomedical experiments
P. Bienkowski, H. Trzaska - P-008 130
On the electromagnetic absorption from whole blood exposed to THz radiation
G. DInzeo, M. DArienzo, A. Doria, G. P. Gallerano, E. Giovenale, M. Sarti - P-009 131
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
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Low cost exposure set-up for RF biological experiments
S. Molfetta, F. Apollonio, M. Liberti, G. DInzeo - P-010 132
Implementation of commercial FEM software to prediction of the EMF indirect hazards
K. Gryz, P. Zradziski, J. Karpowicz - P-011 133
SAR analysis of radio wave in the human eyes
M. Hanazawa, K. Wake, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka - P-012 134
Method for evaluation of the exposure to non-ionizing radiation on personnel in physiotherapy
M. Israel, P. Tchobanoff - P-013 135
Thermal analysis of an irradiation chamber used for in vitro protein studies at 900 MHz
K. Jokela, T. Toivo, A.-P. Sihvonen - P-014 136
Impedance measurement of the ammunition-boots adopted by the Hungarian army in the 10 Hz-13 MHz
frequency band E. Joo, A. Szasz - P-015 137
Human body impedance for contact current measurement
Y. Kamimura, M. Shoji, Y. Yamada, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka - P-016 138
Numerical analysis of electromagnetic interference of a cardiac pacemaker in realistic Voxel models of
Japanese adult male and female R. Kumahara, S. Mochizuki, S. Watanabe, M. Hanazawa, Y. Yamakana,
H. Shirai - P-017 139
Mobile phone radiation effect on Lemna minor
K. Malaric, M. Tkalec, Z. Vidakovic-Cifrek - P-018 140
SAR profiling of GSM base station antennas for comparison to basic restriction exposure guidelines
F.J.C. Meyer, M. van Wyk - P-019 141
Use of homogeneous lossy dielectric sphere model for comparison of continuous and digital modulated
radiofrequency field deposition inside biological objects S. Miclaus, P. Bechet, S. Demeter - P-020 142
GUARD: Temperature imaging of cellular phones and human head surface by infrared thermo
camera measurement B.F. Molnr, E. Rahne, J. Bakos, Gy. Thurczy - P-021 143
E-field probes fabricated by thick film method
B. Szentpli, V. van Tuyen, Gy. Thurczy - P-022 144
The calibration of miniature E-field probes
B. Szentpli, Gy. Thurczy - P-023 145
GUARD project: human exposure system and RF domestry
B. F. Molnr, Gy. Thurczy - P-024 146
Development of near-field head exposure system for cranial-window rats
H. Watanabe, K. Wake, M. Hanazawa, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka, T. Uno, M. Taki - P-025 147
An experimental study on SAR measurement for body-worn wireless terminals
S. Watanabe, K. Fukunaga, Y. Yamanaka, K. Sato, Y. Miyota, M. Takabe, H. Asou, Y. Ishii - P-026 148
Is there some dependency between the degree of the RFs syndrome and the exposure to microwaves from
GSM-DCS base stations? C. Gmez-Perretta, E. Navarro, J. Segura, M. Portols, C. Maest,
J.L. Bardasano - P-028 149
Personal measurements of occupational 50 Hz magnetic fields exposures among women in Sweden
U.M. Forssn, G. Mezei, G. Nise, M. Feychting - P-029 150
Using GIS to identify postcodes in close proximity to high voltage powerlines
M.G. Wright, M.B. Smith, E.J. Dunn, A.W. Preece - P-030 151
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
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EMF exposure survey in residences above transformer stations
J. Szab, G. Jnossy, Gy. Thurczy - P-031 152
Evaluation of mutagenicity of complex magnetic fields with static and time-varying components.
M. Ikehata, T. Nagai, Y. Suzuki, M. Taki ,J. Miyakoshi, T. Koana - P-032 153
A fundamental study of an exposure system at 60 GHz band
M. Hanazawa, K. Wake, R. Kumahara, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka, H. Shirai - P-033 154
Investigation on the mutagenicity of short-wave electromagnetic fields using the tradescantia micronucleus
bioassay H. Lehmann, C. Pickl, M. Urech - P-034 155
Evaluation of genotoxic effects in human peripheral blood lymphocytes following 900 MHz RF exposure
O. Zeni, M. Roman, A. Perrotta, M.B. Lioi, R. Barbieri, G. dAmbrosio, R. Massa, M.R. Scarf - P-035 156
Problem of standardization of radiofrequency radiation effects
Y. Chukova - P-036 157
Cell phones increase hsp70 and induce specific transcription factors in drosophila
D. Weisbrot, M. Blank, R. Goodman - P-037 158
Harmonic distortion of magnetic fields from indoor distribution transformers
K. Jokela, H. Nyberg, A.-P. Sihvonen - P-038 159
EMF occupational hazards assessment and reduction, implemented by OSH regulations in Poland
J. Karpowicz, K. Gryz - P-039 160
Assessment of guidelines compliance near base-stations antennas
M. Martnez Brdalo, A. Martn, M. Anguiano, R. Villar - P-040 151
NIRR Project: enviromental high frequency electromagnetic fields monitoring activity in an alpine region
C. Malacarne, R. Pontalti, A. Vaccari, U. Furlani, G. Anderle, L. Cristoforetti - P-041 162
Correction of ankle SAR of homogeneous human models by effective ankle cross-dection
Y. Tanaka, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamanaka, M. Taki, M. Takahashi - P-042 163
Critical review of the western protection standards
H. Trzaska - P-043 164
Possible effects of RF/MW radiation on the ionosphere
R. Coghill - P-044 165
Grounding the human body to earth reduces chronic inflammation and related chronic pain
C. Ober, R. Coghill - P-045 166
No influence of 50 Hz continuous magnetic field exposures on cognitive functioning in human.
M. Delhez, S. Brdart, J.-J. Legros, M. Crasson - P-046 167
Effects of mobile phone expoisure on hearing function of users
S. Dasdag, M. F. Oktay - P-047 168
Effect of radiofrequencies (RF) on hearing function of people occupationally exposed to RF
M. F. Oktay, S. Dasdag, S. Cureoglu, M. Cebe, M. Yazicioglu, F. Meric, I. Topcu - P-048 169
Effects of 50Hz electromagnetic fields (EMF) on dental pain threshold, blood pressure (BP) and heart
rate (HR) in humans S. Ghione, C.D. Seppia, L. Mezzasalma, L. Bonfiglio - P-049 170
Changes in EEG caused by modulated microwave field
H. Hinrikus, J. Lass, M. Parts, V. Tuulik - P-050 171
Helix aspersa single unit neuron shows a frequency windows under applied magnetic field of variable frequency
A. del Morala, R.N. Prez Bruznb, M.J. Azanzac - P-051 172
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Study of mechanisms of high frequency electromagnetic fields bacterial effects
K. Bagramyan, M. Hakobyan, A. Poladyan, A. Trchounian - P-052 174
Exposure to 50 Hz magnetic field does not affect isoproterenol induced pineal melatonin synthesis in
perifusion system at 100 and 500 T flux densities in vitro
J. Bakos, Gy. Kubinyi, H. Sinay, Gy. Thurczy -P-053 175
GSM microwaves and 50 Hz EMF induce stress response in lymphocytes from hypersensitive and
healthy persons I. Belyaev, L. Hillert, M. Protopopova, L. Malmgren, B. Persson, G. Selivanova,
M. Harms-Ringdahl - P-054 176
Eeffect of high voltage power lines on topsoil microbes
T. Galonja-Coghill, R. Coghill - P-055 177
Elecrtomagnetic fields in articular cartilage: field intensity and exposure length dependent effect
M. De Mattei, A. Pellati, M. Pasello, A. Ongaro, L. Massari, G. Stabellini, A. Caruso - P-056 178
Effects of electromagnetic fields and interleukin-1 (IL-1) on proteoglycan metabolism of bovine articular
cartilage explants M. De Mattei, M. Pasello, A. Pellati, A. Ongaro, G. C. Traina, A. Caruso - P-057 179
50 Hz magnetic field exposure increases the amount of adherent cell contact proteins of primary mouse
Leydig cells in culture Zs. Forgcs, Z. Somosy, Cs. Rvsz, G. Jnossy , Gy. Thurczy - P-058 180
Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on cellular proliferation, ODC activity, and apoptosis
A. Hyt, M. Sokura, J. Juutilainen, J. Naarala - P-059 181
Effects of extremely low frequency pulsed magnetic fields on the proliferation and differentiation of
HepG2 cells X. L. Huo, T. Zheng, W. Yang, T. Xu, T. Song - P-060 182
Proteomics approach to study effects of mobile phone radiation using two variants of human endothelial
cell line R. Kuokka, D. Leszczynski - P-061 183
Effects on cell differentiation in a neuroblastoma cell line exposed to electromagnetic fields associated
to mobile phones (900 MHz) C. Laconi, M. C. Pirozzoli, L. Mosiello, A. Negroni, R. Pinto, A.G. Lovisolo
C. P. Marino - P-062 184
Effects of GSM-900 RFR on the apoptosis of brain cells
F. Poulletier de Gannes, I. Lagroye, E. Haro, M. Taxile, P.E. Dulou, B. Billaudel, B. Veyret - P-063 185
HSPs expression in human skin cells after exposure to GSM-900 S. Sanchez, B. Billaudel, A. Milochau,
I. Lagroye, M. Lassegues, F. Poulletier de Gannes, J. E. Surlve-Bazeille, B. Veyret - P-064 186
Effects of GSM-1800 RFR on ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in L929 mouse fibroblasts
M. Taxile, B. Billaudel, E. Haro, I. Lagroye, B. Veyret - P-065 187
Morphometric estimation of human placental syncytiothrophoblast nuclei in low magnetic induction of variable
magnetic fields following perfusion in vitro M. opucki, B. Jdrych, W. Rogowska, S. Pietruszewski,
K. Kornarzyski, M. acut, K. Czerny, J. Kotarski - P-066 188
Exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields turned to Zn inhibits growth of cancer cells
E. Markova, R. Sarimov, F. Johansson, D. Jenssen, G. Selivanova, I. Belyaev - P-067 189
Effects of exposure to 1950 MHz Radio-frequency fields on expression of Hsp 27 and Hsp70 in human
glioma MO54 cells J. Miyakoshi, G.-R. Ding , H. Hirose, S. Koyama - P-068 190
Effects of THz radiation on carbonic anhydrase loaded liposomes
A. Ramundo-Orlando, M. DArienzo, A. Doria, G. P. Gallerano, E. Giovenale, G. Messina - P-069 191
Evaluation of DNA damage by alkaline comet assay after in vitro exposure to ELF magnetic field
Gy. Kubinyi, Z. Salamon, Gy. Thurczy - P-070 193
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GSM microwaves induce stress response in human lymphocytes
R. Sarimov, J. Torudd, L. Hillert, L. Malmgren , B. Persson, M. Harms-Ringdahl, I. Belyaev - P-071 194
Evaluation of DNA damage in human lymphocytes exposed to THz radiation
O. Zeni, M. Roman, A. Perrotta, M. Sarti, A.Doria, G. P. Gallerano, E. Giovenale, G. Messina, A. Lai,
G. Campurra, M. DArienzo, M.R. Scarf - P-072 195
Cell proliferation and viability in human gliomas and normak fibroblasts cell exposed to CW and W-CDMA
modulated signals at 2-GHz band microwaves M. Sekijima, H. Takeda, K. Yasunaga, T. Nojima,
J. Miyakoshi - P-073 196
Study the effects of magnetic (50Hz ) field in distribution of structural proteins of junctional complex in
Madin-Darby kidney cells Z. Somosy, G. Bognr, Gy. Thurczy - P-074 197
Action of GSM signals on the expression of FGF-receptors by neural cells
M.A. Trillo, G. Alegra, M.A. Martnez, M.A. Cid, A. beda, J. Leal .- P-075 198
Power-frequency MF can influence proliferation and Apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells
M.A. Trillo, M.A. Martnez, M.A. Cid, A. beda, G. Alegra, J. Leal. - P-076 199
Immuno-protective effect of endogenous electric fields
R Coghill, T. Galonja-Coghill - P-077 200
Effects of ELF electric and static magnetic fields (SMFs) on saline solution flow rate and conductivity
C. Conners, R. Coghill - P-078 201
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), a candidate molecule for ELFMFs effect on increasing
the alveolar epithelial tight junction permeability A. Ebrahimpour, B. Shahsavan Behboodi,
M. Shahbazimoghadam, Gh. Riazi - P-079 202
Some effects of high-gradient magnetc field on gravisensing cell of higher plants of roots
A.V. Kondrachuk - P-080 203
A long-term study on the athermal biological effects of microwaves
D. Adang, A. Vander Vorst, M. Zizi - P-082 204
Methodological and instrumentation approach for study of aquarium fishes transient behavior in-vivo
V. V. Alexandrov, B. V. Alexandrov, Y. M. Balagula, N. V. Korovkin, I. N. Serov , D. A. Ustavnikov - P-083 205
Effect of GSM exposure on gliosis
E. Brillaud, R. de Seze - P-084 206
Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on the integration of osteochondral autografts in sheep
F. Cavani, F. Benazzo, M. Fini, S. Setti, V. Can, R. Cadossi - P-085 207
Influence of chronic exposure to variable magnetic field with low induction value on antioxidant reactions in rats
G. Cieslar, J. Zalejska-Fiolka, E. Birkner, S. Kasperczyk, A. Sieron - P-086 208
Influence of chronic exposure to variable magnetic field with low induction value on analgesic reaction in rats
G. Cieslar, K. Sieron-Stotny, A. Dydon, P. Dydon, A. Plech, S .Kasperczyk, A. Sieron - P-087 209
Influence of chronic exposure to variable magnetic field with low induction value on behaviour in rats
G. Cieslar, K. Sieron-Stotny, A. Dydon, P. Dydon, A. Plech, S .Kasperczyk, A. Sieron - P-088 210
The effects of owhole body cell phone exposure on the T relaxation times and trace elements in the serum
of rats F. Aksen, S. Dasdag, M. Z. Akdag, M. Askin, M. M. Dasdag - P-089 211
Status of PERFORM-A: Co- and carcinogenicity studies in rodents on radiofrequency related to mobile
telephones and base stations C. Dasenbrock, R. Hruby, G. Oberto, P. Smith, N. Kuster - P-090 212
Effects of microwaves from GSM mobile phones on the rat brain
J. L. Eberhardt, B. Persson, L.G. Salford, A. Brun - P-091 213
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1800 MHz GSM-Like microwave exposure elevates the serum testosterone level and red blood cell
count of male mice Zs. Forgcs, Gy. Kubinyi, H. Sinay, J. Bakos, Cs. Rvsz, A. Hudk, A. Surjn,
Gy. Thurczy - P-092 214
Changes in mice exploratory activity induced by low-level microwave exposure
C. Goiceanu, G. Blceanu, R. Dnulescu, F. Grdinariu , D.D. Sandu - P-093 215
Cell phones increase hsp70 and induce specific transcription factors in drosophila
D. Weisbrot, M. Blank, R. Goodman - P-094 216
The effect of ELF and RF EMF on the activity/inducibility of cytochrome P450 system in rat liver
R. Wiaderkiewicz, J. Karpowicz, P. Czekaj, K. Gryz, A. Paasz, A. Wiaderkiewicz ,
K. Miranowicz-Dzierawska - P-095 217
Propagation velocity in nerve fibre exposed to microwave
H. Hinrikus, J. Lass, V. Tuulik - P-096 218
Multicenter replication study of the blood-brain barrier neurodegeneration study conducted in Sweden
I. LaGroye, B. Veyret, F. Poulletier de Gannes, Gy. Thurczy, G. Neubauer, C. Ohkubo, J. Wiart,
J. McQuade, J. Merritt, P. Mason - P-097 219
RF GSM Artifact suppressor for in situ electrophysiological recordings
L. Kellnyi, G.P. Kovcs, G. Stefanics, I. Herndi, Gy. Thurczy - P-098 220
Pulsed 900 MHz electromagnetic irradiation alters spontaneous neural activity in the rodent prefrontal cortex
P. Kovcs, I. Herndi, L. Kellnyi, Gy. Thurczy - P-099 221
Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in skin keratinocytes after exposure to GSM signals of hairless rats.
S. Sanchez, H. Masuda, M. Taxile, B. Billaudel, P. Dulou, E. Haro, I. Lagroye, B. Veyret - P-100 222
Radio frequency bioeffects and dosimetry research at the U.S. Air Force research laboratory
M. R. Murphy, J. H. Merritt, P. A. Mason - P-101 223
Parthenogenetic ability of silkworm strains after EHF-radiation impact on pupae
V.G. Shakhbazov, L.M. Chepel, N.N. Grigoryeva, S.P. Sirenko, V.V. Navrotskaya, A.I. Fisun,
O.I. Belous - P-102 224
The light of different zones of spectrum as a possible factor of the gametes differentiation
V.V. Navrotskaya, A.V. Salov, V.G. Shakhbazov - P-103 225
Histological and stereological analysis of cutaneous mast cells in rats exposed to 50 Hz EMF
V. Rajkovic, M. Matavulj, O. Johansson - P-104 226
Therapeutic efficacy of variable magnetic field with low induction value in patients with depression
syndromes A. Sieron, R.T. Hese, J. Sobis, G. Cieslar - P-105 227
The specific frequency magnetic field medical-biological effects.
I. Detlavs, A. Turauska, K. Grundsteins - P-106 228
Stress proteins as the mediators of high-frequency electromagnetic wave effects
O. Glushkova, E. Novoselova - P-107 229
Education of biomedical application of microwaves
G. Mtay, L. Zombory - P-108 230
A liquid phantom medium for microwave breast imaging
J. Leendertz, A. Preece, R. Nilavalan, I.J. Craddock, R. Benjamin - P-109 232
Hyperthermia in onclogy: heat or field?
A. Szsz, O. Szsz, N. Szsz - P-110 233
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Biotropic influence of low-power (nonthermal) millimeter waves: 60 years of scientific research in Russia
Y. Tkachenko, M. Krevsky, Y. Koshurinov, G. Chidichimo, A. Beneduci - P-111 234
About evolution of electromagnetic fields in living systems: model structures and bioobject
E.Z. Gak - P-112 235
The BBEMG web site project : for scientists and the general public?
M. Ledent, M. Crasson , C. Delfosse, J. J. Legros - P-113 236
Electromagnetic compatibility between WCDMA mobile phones and medical electronics
N. Lvehagen, P. Hkansson, L.-E. Larsson, T. Marve, C. Trnevik, M. Wallin - P-114 237
Method for simultaneous electromagnetic stimulation and electrical recording of the human brain
J.L. Bardasano, C. Maest J.L. Ramos, E. Gomez-Utrero, I. Gutierrez, J.M.R. Delgado - P-115 238
The treatment of psycho-vegetative disorders after psychophysical overloadin women in menstrual period
by white light & electric field effects G.S. Markarov, V.M. Marchenkova, S.B. Shvarkov,
J.V. Cherevishnik - P-116 239
ATHEM - An Austrian research initiative on biological effects of mobile telephony by the national occupation
hazard insurance association W. Mosgoeller, E. Diem, G. Neubauer, G. Schmid, H. Tuschl, M. Kundi ,
C. Gerner, E. Traxler, H.-P.Hutter, S. Ivancsits, H. Molla-Djafari - P-117 240
Assessment of ELF magnetic fields exposure in different occupational groups in Italy
F. Gobba, P. Rossi - P-118 241
No influences of GSM base stations on cardiac pacemakers
G. Schmid, G. Neubauer, F. Rauscha - P-119 242
Investigations of influences of radio sets on cardiac pacemakers
G. Schmid, G. Neubauer, F. Rauscha - P-120 243
Seed-stimulation by glow-discharge plasma
G. Vincze, P. Szendr, N. Szsz, O. Szsz, A. Szsz - P-121 244
Stimulation of seeds by Electromagnetic potentials.
A. Szsz, P. Szendr, G. Vincze, N. Szsz, O. Szsz - P-122 245
Is the electromagnetic radiation of the flow of electrically neutral liquids realistic?
O. Szsz, P. Szendr, G. Vincze, A. Szsz - P-123 246
Electromagnetic seed selection.
P. Szendr, G. Vincze, N. Szsz, A. Szsz - P-124 247
Characterization of chronic 50-Hz magnetic field using mutidimensional analysis techniques
Verrier, F. Wallet, M. Souques - P-125 248
Author Index 249
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Plenary Session
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PL-1
THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT OF WHO
RECOMMENDATIONS ON EMF
DR M.H. REPACHOLI AND DR T.E. VAN DEVENTER
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
INTRODUCTION
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations scientific health body and has been assessing health risks
for over 50 years. With its mandate to provide national authorities with sound advice based on the best available
science, and using methodology that has been recognized and accepted world wide, WHO is the logical agency to
conduct health risk assessments of new and emerging technologies, especially those that emit electromagnetic fields
(EMF).
Biological effects and possible health consequences of exposure to EMF need to be assessed according to an
appropriate set of guidelines. Through the International EMF Project, WHO is collaborating with its specialized agency
on cancer research, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and other international organizations,
including the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), governmental agencies and
independent research institutions, to assess health effects of exposure to static and time varying electric and magnetic
fields in the frequency range 0 - 300 GHz. The main objectives of the Project are to identify gaps in knowledge,
establish a research agenda to enlarge the scientific database and complete reviews of the literature in a manner that
leads to scientifically defensible conclusions on possible health risks from EMF exposure.
This paper provides information on how the International EMF Project conducts evaluations and particularly the criteria
for evaluating scientific reports and assessing health hazards from EMF exposure.
ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH RISK
In its constitution WHO defines health as the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity. It is thus important to identify whether EMF-induced biological effects can be
considered a hazard to human health.
Living systems respond to many stimuli as part of the process of living; such responses are examples of biological
effects. Interactions leading to measurable biological effects that remain within the range of physiological compensation
of the body and do not detract from the physical and mental well-being of humans should not be considered as
hazardous. Interactions that lead to biological effects outside the normal range of compensation of the body may be an
actual or potential health hazard. The time course of the effect should be determined, i.e. under what conditions the
effect disappears after cessation of exposure, or if exposures are additive even after a rest period, or whether effects are
permanent, such as the induction of cancer.
Reports of subjective effects (symptoms without concomitant signs - reactions that are difficult to measure
quantitatively, e.g. headaches) are useful for identification of health consequences only if the studies are conducted in a
truly scientific manner, are shown to be statistically significant and a direct causal relationship is demonstrated.
Subjective effects, if substantiated, can detract from the physical and mental well being of a person, and should
therefore be considered a health hazard. If it is determined that certain EMF exposure conditions exist that have a finite
probability of being unsafe for even a very small part of the population, this should be addressed.
SCIENTIFIC DATABASE
The database used to evaluate whether exposure to any physical or chemical agent produces a carcinogenic risk has
been described by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 1995). A similar database can be used for
determining any risk to health from EMF exposure. The International EMF Project has worked to establish a database
of high quality studies that can be assessed by WHO using accepted health risk assessment methodology.
Literature for review should have been published in scientific peer reviewed journals, and should thus be free of most
common deficiencies in methodology, analysis and conclusions. Unfortunately, the rigour of peer review varies widely
among scientific journals. While peer-review adds confidence in the study results, health risk assessment requires
additional review to evaluate study design, conduct and analysis of each report, and to compare them with the results of
other studies. Peer-reviewed reports not published in scientific journals may be considered, but conference abstracts are
of little value in health risk assessment as they generally receive no prior peer review, contain sparse information useful
for a proper evaluation, and cannot be considered as the final outcome of an experiment until all results are available
and properly analysed.
For health risk assessments, the database needed includes a range of study types. A summary is given here, but more
details can be obtained from IARC (1995), Repacholi and Cardis (1995) and Repacholi (1998).
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HUMAN STUDIES: Investigations of associations in human beings between exposure levels and adverse health
effects can utilize both human laboratory and epidemiological studies. These studies require the fulfillment of a number
of criteria to effectively take into account and reduce possible impacts of bias, confounding, and chance variation in the
interpretation of results. Lack of appropriate action to reduce the impact of these sources of error can decrease the
credibility and the final weight given to the results of the study.
ANIMAL STUDIES: All known human carcinogens studied adequately in experimental animals have produced
positive results in one or more animal species. In general, if adequate data are absent from human studies, it is
biologically plausible and prudent to regard studies that provide sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals, as
evidence of carcinogenic risk in humans. However, the animal models need to be relevant to cancers reported in
humans. The possibility that EMF may cause cancer through a species-specific mechanism that does not operate in
humans should also be considered. Consistency of positive results using a variety of animal models is important.
An assessment of disease from exposure to EMF involves several considerations of qualitative importance. These
include the animal model (animal species, strain, sex, age), the experimental conditions under which the study was
performed (exposure regimen, and duration of follow-up), the consistency of the results across species and target
organs, the spectrum of disease outcomes (e.g. for cancer, the spectrum of neoplasm response from preneoplastic
lesions and benign tumours to malignant neoplasms), and the possible role of modifying factors. Since the probability
that a disease will occur may depend on the species, sex, strain, age of the animal, and the duration of exposure,
evidence of an increase in disease with level of exposure strengthens the inference of a causal association. The form of
the dose-response relationship is important and may vary widely. For carcinogenesis, both DNA damage and increased
cell division are important aspects.
IN VITRO STUDIES: Studies on molecules, cells and tissues contribute to the overall understanding of effects and
especially mechanisms of interaction. Such studies can be very useful for identifying effects that should be pursued in
vivo, but it must be remembered that effects found from in vitro studies cannot be claimed to occur in vivo until this has
been experimentally confirmed. In vitro systems are simpler than in vivo systems and so do not necessarily have the
feedback or other exchange mechanisms that occur within whole organisms that may preclude effects being observed.
However, in vitro systems are particularly useful for elucidating mechanisms of interaction of EMF that, when
confirmed in vivo, may be used as a basis for extrapolation for exposure levels (e.g. from low to high field levels) or
across a frequency range.
CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE OF STUDIES FOR HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
Certain criteria should be met if individual studies reporting positive or negative effects are to be accepted into the body
of established scientific literature. These criteria should be viewed as a whole; no individual criterion is either necessary
or sufficient for the conclusion that there is a causal relationship between exposure and a disease.
1. Study techniques, methods and conditions should be as objective as possible using methodology or biological
systems appropriate to end points studied.
2. All data analyses should be fully and completely objective, no relevant data deleted from consideration and
appropriate analytical methods used. Data from experiments within the same study should be internally consistent,
within normal statistical variability.
3. The published description of methods should be given in sufficient detail that a critical reader would be convinced
that all reasonable precautions were taken to meet requirements 1 and 2.
4. Results should demonstrate an effect of the relevant variable at a high level of statistical significance using
appropriate tests.
OVERALL EVALUATION OF HEALTH RISK
One of the greatest problems in assessing health risks has been the lack of consistency of results in the EMF scientific
database. Many studies have not been replicated so results that could have important implications for health remain
unsubstantiated. While exact replication of studies may not be necessary, additional studies are needed to support the
conclusions. To evaluate the confusing and contradictory laboratory and epidemiological studies, Hill
(1965) developed
a set of criteria that have been widely accepted when evaluating epidemiological studies. Similar criteria have been
developed for other studies (Repacholi and Cardis, 1995). Under these criteria, strength and consistency of the
association between EMF exposure and biological effects, evidence of a dose-response relationship, evidence provided
by laboratory studies, and plausibility that biological systems exposed to EMF fields manifest biological effects, are all
examined.
A common approach for assessing health risks is by weight of evidence. Here the results of each study are considered
and compared to similar studies. Then the results of studies within a particular group are considered, for example the
epidemiological evidence is evaluated for consistency, any dose response relationships and other factors to determine
what the weight of the evidence suggests. There is no way to prove something does not cause some health effects since
one cannot prove a negative. Thus it is necessary to estimate how much of a given set of evidence (established scientific
database) changes the probability that exposure will cause the health outcome under consideration. This procedure is
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conducted for the human, animal and laboratory (in vitro) studies, and the evidence is compared overall (e.g.
consistency of results, dose-response) for the final evaluation.
To reach an overall evaluation of EMF health consequences in humans the body of scientific evidence is considered as a
whole. Under the WHO umbrella, two entities are working on the EMF risk assessment. First, IARC conducts the
hazard identification and classification of possible carcinogens. Second, the EMF Project takes into consideration the
results of this carcinogen analysis and completes a risk assessment of all health outcomes, including quantitative risk
estimation. The final assessment is then made by a committee of scientists with the range of disciplines necessary to
conduct the evaluation of the science.
WHO RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRECAUTION
Whenever possible, WHO makes its conclusions and recommendations following evaluation of scientific evidence, and
bases decisions on information fully supported by scientific studies (evidence-based policy). Within WHO, a cluster
called Evidence and Information for Policy (EIP) is responsible for ensuring that scientific evidence is evaluated in an
acceptable manner and that the conclusions are valid.
WHO increasingly deals with health threats that are incompletely characterized or about which scientific evidence is
lacking, especially in developing countries. Prompted by some of the WHO Member States, the EMF Project has
embarked on an activity to determine what measures can be taken to protect public health in cases where scientific
uncertainty exists. In such cases it may be important to take public health measures before a cause and effect
relationship has been scientifically established. In this way, precautionary measures can be integrated naturally into
existing public health policy and can complement actions taken for disease prevention after a cause and effect
relationship has been established. A framework on how to deal with uncertain risks is being developed by the EMF
Project, and it is anticipated that this will be completed in 2004 and will include generic case studies on various
environmental health risks.
REFERENCES
Hill, AB (1965) The environment and disease: Association or causation? Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine
58, 295-300.
IARC (1995) International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks
in humans: Preamble. Lyon, International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Repacholi MH, Cardis E (1997): Criteria for EMF Health Risk Assessment. Radiat Prot Dosim 72: 305-312
Repacholi MH (ed) (1998) Low-Level Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields: Health Effects and
Research Needs. Bioelectromagnetics 19: 1-19 (1998)
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PL-2
EMF PUBLIC PROTECTION
EUROPEAN SITUATION AND INITIATIVES
MARC SEGUINOT
EU, Bruxelles
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PL-3
NEW APPROACH IN EMF RESEARCH PROTEOMICS AND TRANSCRIPTOMICS
DARIUSZ LESZCZYNSKI, REETTA KUOKKA, SAKARI JOENVR, JUKKA REIVINEN,
BioNIR Research Group at the Radiobiology Laboratory,
STUK Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Helsinki, Finland
dariusz.leszczynski@stuk.fi
ABSTRACT
Use of high-throughput screening techniques (HTST) of transcriptomics and proteomics, although expensive and
laborious, is scientifically justified and necessary in studies that examine biological effects of mobile phone radiation.
HTST will allow rapid identification of molecular targets of this low-energy radiation what will help in defining
potential end-points for further investigations. Although such screenings will not provide information about health risks,
however, they will indicate what physiological processes might be potentially affected. Further studies will be then
necessary to determine whether these alterations might cause any human health-related risk.
***
Elucidation of the biological and health effects of mobile phone radiation (radio-frequency modulated electromagnetic
fields; RF-EMF) has been done for decades but the reliable answers concerning potential health hazard are still missing
[1]. Extensive epidemiological studies are commonly expected to provide the answer whether RF-EMF might be
hazardous to people. However, finding and scientific validation of any potential health hazard, whether it would be
cancer or non-cancer effect, might not be possible using epidemiological approach alone. This, because the low
sensitivity of epidemiological methodology might be insufficient to reliably detect health impact of the weak
biological effects caused by RF-EMF [1]. Therefore, although epidemiological studies will be needed to ultimately
validate the extent of any potential health hazard of RF-EMF to human population, they also need to be supplemented
and supported by data from animal and in vitro studies.
The so far used research approach to search
for biological effects of RF-EMF does no
provide sufficiently fast and sufficiently
broad variety of biological end-points that
could be used for health hazard studies
(Figure 1).
HYPOTHESIS
Guess a lot Know a lot
Screen a lot Read a lot
Test its relevance to health issue
Classic Science
Approach
new
Discovery Science
Approach
Dariusz Leszczynski
To determine the usefulness of HTST to search for the biological effects induced by RF-EMF, we have performed a 5-
step feasibility study (Figure 2, modified from [2]).
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Step-1.
Step-2.
Step-3.
Step-4.
Step-5.
will identify numerous molecular
events, including some false positives
Approach Outcome
will dismiss false-positives and
leave fewer events for analysis
will dismiss physiologically
insignificant target events
Identification of target molecular events
using HTST methods
Validation of target molecular events
using non-HTST methods
Selection of group of
target molecular events and
validation of their physiological impact
Generation of health effect-related
hypothesis
HTST-identification
of new target events
Validation or dismissal
of the hypothesis
modified, after: D Leszczynski, R Kuokka, S Joenvr, J Reivinen; PROTEOMICS 4 (2), Feb.2004 in press
Testing of hypothesis
volunteers/epidemiology
Step-1: HTST-identification of target molecular events
Firstly, we have determined the extent of cell response to RF-EMF [3]. This has been done by analyzing global changes
in the pattern of protein phosphorylation in our experimental model - cultures of human endothelial cell line EA.hy926.
The
32
P-labelled proteins were separated using standard two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE). Using PDQuest
software (Bio-Rad, UK), some 1266 different protein spots were identified in silver-stained 2DE gels. Among them, in
sham exposed cells were detected some 110 phosphoproteins whereas in RF-EMF exposed cells were detected some
372 phosphoproteins. Then, using either western blot or mass spectrometry it is possible to identify these
phosphoproteins. Using simple western blot screening we have identified Hsp27 as one of the phosphoproteins
responding to RF-EMF by transiently increasing expression and activity (phosphorylation) [3].
Step-2: Validation of target molecular event
The change in phosphorylation status of Hsp27 was then confirmed in several ways to assure the validity of this
observation [3] by:
immunoprecipitation of phosphorylated Hsp27,
immunoprecipitation of p38MAPK, an up-stream kinase indirectly involved in phosphorylation of Hsp27,
inhibition of Hsp27 phosphorylation by introduction to cell cultures of the inhibitor of Hsp27-up-stream kinase
p38MAPK (SB203580) and determining Hsp27 phosphorylation status by immunoprecipitation.
Step-3: Cellular response validation of the physiological event
Phosphorylation and increase in expression of Hsp27 is a well-established mechanism of cell response to a broad
variety of stress stimuli [4]. Therefore, the observed by us doubling of Hsp27 expression and 2- to 7-fold increase in
amount of phosphorylated Hsp27 in cells [3] have suggested that EA.hy926 cells have recognized RF-EMF as external
stress stimuli and have launched an Hsp27-dependent counter-response.
Phosphorylation of Hsp27 has been shown to regulate polymerization of F-actin and stability of stress fibers [5].
Examination of the stress fibers with AlexaFluor-labeled phalloidin has revealed that RF-EMF exposure increases
stability of F-actin stress fibers. Inhibitor of p38MAP kinase (SB203580) prevented stress fibers stabilization. Such
behavior of Hsp27 and stress fibers, in cells exposed to RF-EMF, suggests that RF-EMF-induced change in Hsp27
expression and phosphorylation may indeed be of sufficient magnitude to have impact on cell physiology.
Also, the activated (phosphorylated) Hsp27 has been shown to inhibit apoptosis by forming complex with the
apoptosome (complex of Apaf-1 protein, pro-caspase-9 and cytochrome c), or some of its components, and preventing
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proteolytic activation of pro-caspase-9 into active form of caspase-9 [6,7]. This, in turn, prevents activation of pro-
caspase-3 which is activated by caspase-9.
Step-4: Generation of hypothesis based on molecular and physiological events
Based on the above results we have formulated a working hypothesis [3] that the activation (phosphorylation) of Hsp27
by mobile phone radiation might be the molecular mechanism regulating:
(i) increase in blood-brain barrier permeability, which would explain, observed in some animal experiments,
increase in blood-brain barrier permeability, and
(ii) apoptosis through interference with the cytochrome c/caspase-9/caspase-3 pathway
Thus, it might possible that the RF-EMF might have effect on cytoskeleton-related and apoptosis-related cell functions.
This notion supports and scientifically justifies further examination of cytoskeleton- and apoptosis-related physiological
processes in RF-EMF exposed cells.
Step-5: HTST-identification of new target events, with support of the hypothesis
Further experiments using HTST have revealed additional information pertinent to the cytoskeleton- and apoptosis-
related physiological processes occurring in RF-EMF exposed endothelial cells. Using 2DE was determined that
another class of cytoskeletal proteins are affected by RF-EMF exposure. Using cDNA Expression Arrays and
screening expression of 3600 different genes has shown that all genes that encode proteins of the Fas/TNF-apoptotic
pathway are down-regulated by RF-EMF exposure. This coincides with the known inhibitory effect of phosphorylated
Hsp27 on this apoptotic pathway. These findings, yet again, give support to the notion that RF-EMF-induced changes in
Hsp27 might have physiologically significant impact on cellular processes that are regulated by cytoskeleton or by
Fas/TNF apoptotic pathway.
CONCLUSIONS
The above presented evidence suggests that by using HTST it will be possible to identify the RF-EMF-induced changes
in protein and gene expression [2]. Based on this information it will be possible to predict what cellular processes might
be affected and determine what physiological functions of the body should be examined.
Even though the increase in expression/phosphorylation of the examined by us Hsp27 protein was modest it was
possible to show that even this change had impact on cell physiology. Whether it will have any broader physiological
impact remains to be determined by in vivo studies.
Although the use of HTST will not provide direct evidence of health hazard or its absence, it will be essential in
unraveling of multitude of biological effects exerted by RF-EMF exposure [2]. Further elucidation of the physiological
significance of these biological effects, for the health and well-being, will allow determination whether any health
hazard might be associated with the use of mobile phones at the presently allowed radiation safety levels.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Pia Kontturi and Hanna Tammio are thanked for skillful assistance in performing experiments. Dr. Kari Jokela, Lauri
Puranen, Tim Toivo and Ari-Pekka Siihvonen of the Non-Ionizing Radiation Laboratory, STUK, Helsinki, Finland, and
Dr. Niels Kuster and Juergen Schuderer of the ITIS ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland have provided mobile phone radiation
exposure equipment and dosimetrical support. Dr. Cora-Jean S. Edgell, North Carolina University at Chapel Hill, NC,
USA has provided EA.hy926 endothelial cell line and Dr. Jacques Landry of the Laval University, Quebec, Canada has
provided hamster cells transfected with human Hsp27 variants. Funding support was provided by Finnish Technology
Development Center Tekes (LaVita project), 5th Framework Programme of the European Union (REFLEX project),
by the Academy of Finland (project #48861) and by STUK.
REFERENCES
1. Stewart Report (2000). Mobile Phones and Health. (http://www.iegmp.org.uk)
2. Leszczynski D, Kuokka R, Joenvr S, Reivinen J, Proteomics 2004, 4(2), in press
3. Leszczynski D, Joenvr S, Reivinen J, Kuokka R, Differentiation 2002, 70, 120-129
4. Rogalla T, Ehrnsperger M, Preville X, Kotlyarov A, Lutsch G, et al.,. J. Biol. Chem. 1999, 274, 18947-18956
5. Landry J, Huot J. Biochem. Cell. Biol. 1995, 73, 703-707
6. Pandey P, Farber R, Nakazawa A, Kumar S, Bharti A, et al., Oncogene 2000, 19, 1975-1981
7. 11. Concannon CG, Orrenius S, Samali A., Gene Expression 2001, 9, 195-201
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
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PL-4
MEDICAL APPLICATION OF NON-IONISING ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY:
CLINICAL BIOPHYSICS.
RUGGERO CADOSSI, M.D.,
Research and Development IGEA.
Via Parmenide, 10/A, 41012 Carpi, (MO), Italy
e-mail: cadossi@igea.it
The therapeutic possibilities at the physician's disposal foresee the use of both chemical and physical energy. Whereas
the use of chemicals (drugs) and ionising electromagnetic energy for disease treatment has been well defined in the
different branches of medicine and surgery, it has not been the same for non-ionising electromagnetic energies.
The therapeutic and diagnostic use of physical means in medicine is based on the observation that biological systems
are able to absorb electromagnetic energy. In radiotherapy, the property of the biological systems to absorb energy has
introduced the concept of energy/dose on which "all" effects depend, even though the biological targets can show
specific susceptibilities.
The capability to modify the activity of a biological target through electromagnetic energy, independently of its energy
content, is a recent acquisition. The dependence of the biological effects on other parameters, for example waveform,
frequency, or ratio energy/time, has been addressed and dose response curves for these parameters have been identified
only recently.
Today, several diseases, in different fields of medicine, are treated with non-ionising electromagnetic energy, even
though the mechanism of action is not fully explained, so that the clinical applications appear certainly more advanced
than the basic research.
During the last century, the treatment with electromagnetic energy has been introduced to favour bone healing and its
clinical use is now based on scientific evidence. Other diseases have been treated with electromagnetic energy, but more
research is needed in these areas, for example skin ulcer treatments.
The "clinical biophysics" is that branch of medical science that studies the action process and the effects of non-ionising
electromagnetic fields utilised for therapeutic purposes. The principles on which the clinical biophysics is based are
represented by: the recognizability and the specificity of the electromagnetic energy applied.
As to recognizability, we mean the capacity of the biological target to recognise the presence of the electromagnetic
energy: this aspect becomes more and more important with the lowering of the energy applied.
As to specificity, we mean the capacity of the electromagnetic energy applied to the biological target to elicit a response
which depends on its physical characteristics: waveform, frequency, duty-cycle, energy, etc.
These observations foresee that electromagnetic energy can produce different effects when applied to different
biological systems. Only during last century, it has become clear that it is possible to modulate biological processes in a
selective way. At present, we cannot foresee a specificity of electromagnetic energy similar to the one of drugs, even
though it is clear that different physical energies produce different effects and, moreover, that they follow different cell
membrane transduction pathways, activating different cellular functions.
Electromagnetic energy can be applied to the human body by a direct contact or irradiation. In direct contact modality
electromagnetic energy is applied through contact electrodes. Otherwise, the biological target can be exposed to the
electromagnetic energy through electric or magnetic field generators placed in proximity of the body. Table I lists
examples of the clinical applications most frequently used.
Unlike drugs, the effect of electromagnetic energy is local and limited to the site of application. No systemic effects are
known deriving from the exposure to low energy electromagnetic fields of part of the body.
Table I.
Clinical applications of electromagnetic energy.
EFFECTS
Non thermal Thermal
Administration
DIRECT tissue repair: bone, skin, nervous
control of pain
electroporation: ECT and EGT
electrochemical treatment of solid cancers
IRRADIATED
tissue repair: bone, skin, nervous
control of inflammation and pain
control of pain
cancer treatment by hyperthermia
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Certainly, the orthopaedic community has played a central role in the development and understanding of the importance
of the physical stimuli to control biological activities, having studied the clinical importance of the electric or magnetic
stimulation of endogenous bone repair. Table II summarises the main European orthopaedic clinical studies.
Table II
Clinical studies demonstrating that electrical and magnetic stimulation favours endogenous bone repair.
Author Method Pathology Protocol
Fontanesi, 1986 Inductive Recent Tibia Fractures Control
Borsalino, 1988 Inductive Femur Osteotomies Double-blind
TRAINA, 1989 Inductive Pseudoarthrosis Control
Sharrard, 1990 Inductive Tibia Delayed Union Double-blind
Mammi, 1993 Inductive Tibia Osteotomies Double-blind
Capanna, 1994 Inductive Osteotomies + Bone Grafts Double-blind
Scott, 1994 Capacitive Tibia Pseudoarthrosis Double-blind
Simonis, 2003 Inductive Tibia Pseudoarthrosis Double-blind
The biophysical treatment can be an important integration to pharmacology, in order to potentiate locally the effects of
drugs; electroporation techniques for electrochemiotherapy and electrogenetherapy will shortly be part of the clinical
routine in skin cancer treatment.
Today several new areas of medicine are interested in the possibility to utilise non chemical means to treat different
pathologies. Some applications are simply at their beginning or still at the preliminary stage of research; however,
everything induces to think that these therapeutic possibilities will be more and more utilised. The biophysical therapy
has, when compared to the pharmacological treatments, the undiscussed advantage of being easy to administrate. Being
a local therapy it can reach the maximum "concentration" at the treatment site and thus the maximum therapeutic
efficacy, without general negative side effects. The biophysical therapy seems to be suitable for protracted treatments in
the presence of chronic degenerative diseases, whereas it does not seem possible to treat systemic disorders. Further
development of the clinical application of electromagnetic energy introduces many and complex questions, however,
the possibility to recognise and define a therapeutic development area as the clinical biophysics represents a
fundamental moment of synthesis necessary to create a common ground of reference for researchers of different fields.
In Europe there is still an important open issue that can significantly damage the development of this area that involves
physics, engineering, biology and medicine. Unlike the USA, where entry of apparatuses on the market is regulated by
the FDA, there is no norm in Europe regarding the use of non-ionising radiation for therapeutic purposes in humans.
While this has favoured the development of new technologies, it has also meant the proliferation of systems of treating
patients with no scientific basis or study demonstrating their effectiveness. This exposes the patients to the risk of being
treated with devices whose efficacy has not been proven or worst that can potentially be harmful. This deficiency will
certainly need to be remedied by the responsible authorities in the next future.
REFERENCES
Consensus Conference Impiego della Stimolazione Elettrica e Magnetica in Ortopedia e Traumatologia; Giornale
Italiano di Ortopedia e Traumatologia, 24, 1, 13-31,1998.
Ryaby JT. Clinical effects of electromagnetic and electric fields on fracture healing. Clin Orthop. 1998 Oct; (355
Suppl):S205-15
Ieran M., Zaffuto S., Bagnacani M., Annovi M., Moratti A., Cadossi R. Effect of Low Frequency Pulsing
Electromagnetic Fields on Skin Ulcers of Venous Origin in Humans: A Double-Blind Study. J Orthop. Res., 1990, 8,
276-282.
Bassett C.A.L. Therapeutic uses of electric and magnetic fields in orthopaedics. In: Biological Effects of Electric and
Magnetic Fields. Eds.D.O. Carpenter and S. Ayrapetyan. Academic Press. Dan Diego, (II) 13-48, 1994.
Sersa G., Cemazar M., Rudolf Z. Electrochemotherapy: advantages and drawbacks in treatment of cancer patients.
Review Article. Cancer Therapy vol1, 133-142, 2003.
Kotnik T, Pucihar G, Rebersek M, Miklavcic D, Mir LM. Role of pulse shape in cell membrane
electropermeabilization.Biochim Biophys Acta. 2003 Aug 7;1614(2):193-200.
Gehl J. Electroporation: theory and methods, perspectives for drug delivery, gene therapy and research. Acta Physiol
Scand. 2003 Apr;177(4):437-47.
Mir LM. Therapeutic perspectives of in vivo cell electropermeabilization. Bioelectrochemistry. 2001 Jan;53(1):1-10.
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Session 1
Dosimetry and exposure systems I
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O-1-01
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO STATIC AND ELF
MAGNETIC FIELDS ON RAILWAY ENGINES
P. ROSSI*, R. FALSAPERLA*, V. BRUGALETTA*, P. BETTI
, A. GAGGELLI
*
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL) ROME ITALY
, BALDININI Y.
, EGGER M.
, BRAUN-FAHRLNDER C.
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Bern, Switzerland
Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Basel, Switzerland
BACKGROUND:
Exposure to radiation from mobile phone base stations may be associated with sleep disorders. We performed a pilot
study in the vicinity of a future base station site during the process of setting the station up. Because the date
transmission started is not known to the public, this design may allow the distinction between psychological effects (due
to the building of a station) and physical effect (due to radiation).
METHODS:
Study participants were recruited from areas that were expected to be most heavily exposed. Study participants filled in
a sleep diary every evening and morning during 6 weeks (the mast was set up on day 16). Every Wednesday morning
we collected samples of first void urine to determine cortisol levels. In one participant an actiwatch device was tested to
record activity during the night. At the beginning and the end of the study period the study participants were visited at
home in order to ask about exposure to various environmental factors (e.g. indoor and outdoor noise) and to measure
radiation in the radio and microwave frequency range.
RESULTS:
In the event, only the period during which the station was set up could be examined due to logistical problems.
Exposure levels were almost identical after transmission started because the radiated power was set very low. Sleep
duration changed little after the base station started to transmit, compared to the time period before (difference= -8.3
min; 95%-CI: -21.1 to 4.6 min) after adjusting for numerous covariates (individual, day of week, caffeine and alcohol
intake, bedtime, wind velocity, precipitation, time trend, moon phase, use of sleeping drug, etc). Neither latency to sleep
onset (difference= +1.0 min; 95%CI: -2.9 to 4.9 min) and awakening during night (odds ratio=0.94; 95%CI: 0.65 to
1.36) nor self rated fatigue in the morning, general well-being, perceived levels of stress and mood were associated with
exposure after adjusting for covariates. In contrast sleep duration was significantly associated with numerous covariates
such as day of week (p<0.001), moon phase (p<0.001), sleeping during day (p=0.03), and wind velocity (p=0.02). No
correlation of cortisol levels with sleep duration was found. There was a tendency of lower cortisol levels if individuals
stated to be less stressed, to perceive less fatigue or to feel better in general.
CONCLUSIONS:
The exposure setting is crucial in this type of research. Appropriate sites are rare and transmission starts at a low level,
because of the dense net which already exists. Close collaboration with telecommunication companies could overcome
this difficulty: exposure could be set to the level desired, dummy signals could be used to blind study participants and
radiation could be interrupted in a randomised controlled design. Diary data reflect external influences on sleep such as
caffeine/alcohol intake, day of week, moon phase and therefore should provide sensitive outcome data for this type of
study. Actimeter data provide additional information whereas urinary cortisol levels appear to be less useful. This pilot
study will inform the design of a large scale trial planned in Switzerland.
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
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O-6-04
EXPOSURE 50 Hz ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND CUTANEOUS MALIGNANT
MELANOMA IN ADULTS
TORE TYNES
1,2
, LARS KLAEBOE
2
, TOR HALDORSEN
2
1
Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority
2
The Cancer Registry of Norway
OBJECTIVES:
The aim of this nested case-control study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to electromagnetic fields from high-
voltage power lines increases the incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma in adults aged 16 and above.
METHODS:
The study population comprised subjects aged 16 and above who had lived in a residence situated in a broad corridor
around a high-voltage power line in 1980, or one of the years from 1986 to 1996. The cases were incident cases that
were diagnosed 1980-96 and reported to the Cancer Registry of Norway. Two controls were matched to each case by
year of birth, sex, municipality and first year entering the cohort. Time-weighted average exposure to residential
magnetic fields generated by the power lines was calculated for the exposure follow-up from January 1, 1967 until
diagnosis by means of a computer programs in which distance from a residency to the line, line configuration, and
current load were taken into account. Exposure was analysed using cut off points at 0.05 and 0.2 microtesla (T). In
addition exposure to magnetic fields at work was classified by an expert panel who assessed magnetic field exposure by
combining branch and occupation into one of three levels: < 4 hours, 4-24 hours and > 24 hours per week above
background (0.1 T). The categories were cumulated over the occupationally active years for the exposure follow-up
January 1, 1955 until diagnosis, and cut off points at 18 and 31 category-years were evaluated.
RESULTS:
The analysis of the two upper residential magnetic field categories showed an odds ratio of 2.01 (95% CI 1.09-3.69)
and 2.68 (95% CI 1.43-5.04) for women, and an odds ratio of 1.70 (95%CI 0.96-3.01) and 1.37 (95 % CI 0.77-2.44) for
men, respectively. Occupational exposure showed no significant association with cutaneous malignant melanoma, and
analysis of both residential and occupational exposure simultaneously, showed no additional effect.
CONCLUSION:
The present study provides some support for an association between exposure to calculated residential magnetic fields
and cutaneous malignant melanoma, but because of the lack of a biological hypothesis and the known strong association
between solar radiation and melanoma, no firm conclusions can be drawn and further studies would be of interest.
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O-6-05
INFLUENCE OF LOCATION DURING CALLS ON OUTPUT POWER OF MOBILE
PHONES
L. HILLERT
1
, A. AHLBOM
1
, M. FEYCHTING
1
, L. JARUP
2
, A. LARSSON
1
, D. NEASHAM
2
, P. ELLIOTT
2
.
1
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
2
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.
INTRODUCTION:
There is a growing concern that long-term exposure to radiofrequency fields from mobile phones may cause adverse
health effects. Epidemiological studies of good quality are needed to provide a basis for risk assessment.
The efficacy of a study to assess accurately a relationship between mobile phone use and health effects will be greatly
dependent on the quality of exposure assessment and classification. Exposure classification is often based on duration of
mobile phone use and calling time per day, but this is a rather crude method. The actual output power of the phone may
vary by a factor of 1000 depending on the degree of down regulation. Determining the actual exposure from mobile
phones is difficult even in laboratory settings and ideally a large number of factors should be taken into consideration.
However, even if some factors of importance could be collected in an epidemiological study, e.g. where a person
typically makes most calls, the influence these factors may have on an exposure index is uncertain.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of the study was to investigate if there were systematic differences in output power between calls made from
indoor versus outdoor locations and in stationary versus moving (by car) situations, and if these results differed between
urban and rural areas.
METHODS:
Approximately fifty 1-minute and fifty 5-minute calls were made between two mobile phones under the following
conditions:
1. One phone inside a house (residence, shop or restaurant) and the other outside the same house.
2. One phone in a moving car and the other in an outdoor stationary position.
The design was applied to rural as well as urban areas.
Handsets were held to the ear during calls and we did not use any hands free devices. No calls were made during busy
hours, i.e. between 3 and 5pm.
The proportion of calling time at the highest output power, 2W as well as the proportion of time that the phones were
transmitting at one of the three highest output levels were compared for the contrasting situations.
RESULTS: The study is currently ongoing and the results will be presented at the conference. We will present
information on the relative difference in exposure to radiofrequency fields between the contrasting situations during
mobile phones calls. The results will be discussed in relation to what effect such factors may have on an exposure index
in epidemiological studies of mobile phone use and health effects.
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O-6-06
STUDY OF EFFECTS OF MODULATED MICROWAVES ON PERCEPTUAL SYSTEM
OF VISUAL INFORMATION PROCESSING
J. LASS
1
, A. RODINA
1
, T. BACHMANN
2
, H. HINRIKUS
1
1
Biomedical Engineering Centre, Tallinn Technical University, Tallinn, Estonia
2
Institute of Law, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
In this paper, effects of low-power modulated microwaves on central nervous system function are studied
experimentally utilising the phenomenon of visual masking. Visual masking can be defined as impairment or total
suppression of the perception of certain transient visual stimulus/image A as a consequence of the exposure of another
visual stimulus/image B within the immediate spatiotemporal proximity to A, or in the partial or total spatiotemporal
overlap with it. As a result of masking the stimulus could appear dimmer (contrast reduction), change its perceivable
figural characteristics, be perceived as fragmented or having undetermined quality (e.g. "something" is seen, however it
is impossible to tell, what), or can be lacking in perceptual experience at all [1].
Ten volunteers participated in current study, 4 male and 6 female, aged between 20-32 years. All participants
were healthy and had normal or corrected to normal vision. The subjects were presented two photos of a male face one
after another (first during 40ms, second during 20ms, interval 0ms) and the task of a subject was to identify the pictures
from a group of six photos and the order of their appearance. The tests were performed in 16 sessions for a subject,
using the pseudo random distribution of the sessions to EMF exposure and to sham exposure, so that finally each
subject made 8 sessions with EMF and 8 sets without EMF (sham exposure). Each set consisted of 50 trials, altogether a
subject made 800 trials, 400 with and 400 without EMF exposure. The EMF exposure conditions were the same for all
subjects. The 450 MHz EMF (1W, 100% amplitude modulated by the pulse modulator at the frequency of 7 Hz, duty
cycle 50%) was guided via coaxial to the 13 cm quarter-wave antenna located at 10 cm from the skin of the right side of
the head. The measured field power density at the cortex was 0.158 mW/cm
2
, calculated SAR was 0.351 W/kg [2]. The
responses of the subjects were grouped into eight exclusive categories regarding correct identification of the faces and
the order of their presentation. The categories were as follows: both correct, first correct, second correct, both incorrect,
both correct but wrong order, first correct but wrong order, second correct but wrong order, no answer. The t-test for
paired samples was made for statistical comparison of means for different categories. No significant differences were
observed between the exposed and sham exposed groups. The results differ from our previous study where different
physiological tests were used [2].
In conclusion we can say that visual information processing is an overwhelmingly robust and routine (and
adaptively significant) activity, so that the physical field-effects exerted upon it are extremely weak, if there are any at
all.
[1] T. Bachmann, Psychophysiology of visual masking, Nova Science Publishers, NY, 1994.
[2] J. Lass, V. Tuulik, R. Ferenets, R. Riisalo and H. Hinrikus, Effects of 7 Hz-modulated 450 MHz electromagnetic
radiation on human performance in visual memory tasks, Int. J. Radiat. Biol. vol. 78, no 10, pp. 937 944, 2002.
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O-6-07
MOBILE PHONE USE AND INCREASE IN SKIN TEMPERATURE DUE TO
INSULATION, HEAT CONDUCTION, AND RF ABSORPTION.
G. OFTEDAL*
1,2
, A. STRAUME*
1
, A. JOHNSSON*
1
.
Dept. of Physics,
1
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
2
Sr-Trndelag University Collage (HiST), 7004 Trondheim, Norway.
INTRODUCTION:
In an epidemiological investigation of mobile phone users in Norway and Sweden [1, 2] thirty percent of the Norwegian
responders and 13 % of the Swedish responders reported about symptoms attributed to the use of mobile phones.
Warmth sensation on/around the ear was most often reported. The increased skin temperature may be due to insulation
by holding the phone against the skin, heat conduction when the phone is heated because of the currents drawn from the
battery, and absorption of radio frequency (RF) energy. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution to
increased skin temperature due to each of these factors.
METHODS:
A digital mobile phone (GSM 900), transmitting at 900 MHz, that could transmit at adjustable fixed power level was
used. Three different levels were chosen: 2.0 W, 0.02W and 0 W (OFF). The battery saving function, DTX
(Discontinuous transmission) was inactive during the experiments. We eliminated the RF exposure by replacing the
antenna with a 50 load. For each power level, the mobile phone was used with a transmitting antenna, and with the
load. One healthy male subject was selected for the study. He held the mobile phone in the normal position for 30 min
in each exposure session, which was repeated six times for each of the six exposure conditions. The experiment was
administered to compensate for skin temperature variations throughout the day. It was designed as a double blind
experiment. Pictures of the exposed skin area and of the opposite side were taken at 0, 15 and 30 min of the exposure by
using a thermo camera. The temperature of the skin area under the mobile phone was analysed. This area was divided
into two: the ear region and the cheek region. The temperature increase in the exposed area (mobile phone side of the
head) relative to the increase at the non-exposed side was investigated.
RESULTS:
Here results after 30 min of exposure are presented. When the phone was switched off, the increase in skin temperature
was statistically significant (about 0.8 C for the cheek and 1.7 C for the ear). When the phone was switched on, there
was an additional statistically significant increase in skin temperature, both with 0.02 and 2.0 W output power. At the
highest output power, the temperature increase was 1.1 and 2.3 C for the skin and ear region, respectively. The effect
of the RF exposure was not statistically significant. These results therefore suggests that the heat sensations reported by
some mobile phone users are most likely caused by the insulation and the heat conduction from the phone unless the
SAR is higher than for the phone used in this study.
1. Oftedal G, Wilen J, Sandstrm M, Hansson Mild K. Symptoms experienced in connection with mobile phone use.
Occup Med (Lond) 2000;50(4):237-45.
2. Sandstrm M, Wilen J, Oftedal G, Hansson Mild K. Mobile phone use and subjective symptoms. Comparison of
symptoms experienced by users of analogue and digital mobile phones. Occup Med (Lond) 2001; 51:25-35.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
86
O-6-08
THE PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS IN ELECTRIC UTILITY WORKERS
CHRONICALLY EXPOSED TO 50-Hz MAGNETIC FIELDS
M. SOUQUES, Y. TOUITOU, H. CHARBUY, F. CAMUS, J. LAMBROZO
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine Piti-Slptrre, 91 boulevard de lHpital,
75013 Paris, France, and Service des Etudes Mdicales, EDF/GDF, Paris, France.
The hypothalamus-pituitary system has an intricate time structure : rhythmic variations of multiple frequencies
are found at all levels of the system from hypothalamic neurons to the cells of the peripheral target tissues. The
frequencies observed range from neuronal discharges to ultradian rhythms and pulsatile secretions to circadian and
circannual rhythms. The stability of this endocrine system, which is one of the bodys primary physiological regulators,
maintains homeostasis in mammals. In fact, perturbation by environmental factors can be manifested by functional
changes in this regulatory system.
In this study, we examine the circadian rhythm of testosterone, LH, FSH in 15 men exposed chronically and
daily for a period of 1-20 years, in the workplace and at home, to a 50 Hz magnetic field in search of any cumulative
effect from those chronic conditions of exposure. The weekly geometric mean of individual exposures ranged from 0.1
to 2.6 T. The results are compared to those for 15 unexposed men who served as controls (individual exposures ranged
from 0.004 to 0.092 T). Blood samples were taken hourly from 2000 to 0800. This work shows that subjects exposed
over a long period (up to 20 years) and on a daily basis to magnetic fields experienced no changes in the concentration
and circadian profiles of testosterone, LH and FSH. Our data suggest that a chronic exposure to magnetic fields does not
affect the hypothalamus-pituitary gonadal axis in man.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
87
Session 7
GUARD: Potential effects of cellular phones on the
hearing system
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
89
O-7-01
GUARD PROJECT: SENSITIVE METHODS FOR STUDYING EFFECTS OF GSM ON
HEARING IN HUMANS
MARK E LUTMAN
1
, STEVEN BELL
1
, MILTOS TSALIGHOPOULOS
2
1
Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton
2
AHEPA District General Hospital of Thessaloniki
Cellular (GSM) telephones have become very commonly used throughout the world within a short period of
time. Although there is no clear evidence to show harmful physiological effects of GSM at the levels used by mobile
phones, there is widespread public concern that there may be potential for harm. Therefore, it is appropriate to conduct
sensitive studies to allay any public concern. Such studies should employ methodology that is able to detect very small
effects with appropriate statistical power.
Because mobile phones are usually held close to the ear, or because GSM exposure at the ear is high due to
radiation from a remote earpiece, it is appropriate to study effects on hearing. The external ear provides a natural route
by which GSM radiation may reach the peripheral and central nervous system without severe attenuation by the bone of
the skull. Moreover, the outer hair cells of the inner ear (cochlea) are exquisitely sensitive and relatively easily damaged
by excessive sound exposure. It is possible that GSM may modify the uptake of toxic agents produced during activation
of these inner ear structures There is the potential for the combined sound and GSM exposure from the telephone to
interact, aggravating the potential for damage to the outer hair cells.
The GUARD project involves experimental work with both laboratory animals and humans. The human studies
have entailed development of protocols to identify small changes in auditory function. In addition to conventional
measures of hearing threshold level, which require a subjective response, the study focuses on two types of objective
response: otoacoustic emissions and the auditory brainstem response. Otoacoustic emissions are low-intensity sounds
emitted by the healthy cochlea in response to sound, while the auditory brainstem response provides information on the
functioning of the auditory nervous system. Two experimental paradigms are used with these measures. The within-
subject paradigm entails measurements immediately before and immediately after exposure to GSM via a Nokia
mobile phone. The procedure is conducted twice in a double-blind design: once with a genuine exposure and once with
a sham exposure. The between-subject study compares two groups of mobile phone users: heavy and light users. A total
of 500 subjects in six laboratories will be involved across both studies.
Pilot studies have confirmed the practicality of the protocols. The presentation will describe the study design and
test protocols with preliminary analysis of data from the first three months of testing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was financed by the European Project GUARD Potential
adverse effects of GSM cellular phones on hearing (European Commission, 5th
Framework Programme, QLK4-CT-2001-00150, 2002-2004).
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
90
O-7-02
GUARD PROJECT: GSM CELLULAR PHONES AND THE HEARING SYSTEM:
EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE OF SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS AND COMBINED EFFECTS
OF GENTAMICIN AND MICROWAVES EXPOSURE IN GUINEA-PIGS.
PROGRESS REPORT
P. GALLONI
1
, A. BRAZZALE
2
, N. CARRERE
3
, P. E. DULOU
4
, Y. HONDARRAGUE
3
, M. PARAZZINI
2
, M.
PISCITELLI
1
, G. TOGNOLA
2
, B. VEYRET
4
, J. M. ARAN
3
, C. MARINO
1
, P. RAVAZZANI
2
1
Unit Di Tossicologia e Scienze Biomediche, Enea Casaccia, Roma, Italy;
2
Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica CNR Italy;
3
Equipe Mixte Inserm 99/27 "Cellular and Molecular Biology of Hearing, Pellegrin Hospital and
University Victor Sgalen Bordeaux, France;
4
PIOM Laboratory " Physique des Interactions Ondes Matire, ENSCPB, UMR 5501 CNRS, France;
The aim of this study is to assess potential changes in auditory function of animals due to exposure to
electromagnetic fields produced by GSM mobile phones at frequencies of 900 and 1800 MHz. This paper presents the
preliminary results of two investigations: i) the study of the effects on the hearing system of Sprague-Dawley rats
exposed to GSM modulated EMF and ii) the study of the putative potentiating effect of GSM microwaves on the
ototoxicity of gentamicin (GM) in Guinea pigs. The hearing system of the animals was tested before and after exposure
by Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) and Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) that are well known
tools to investigate effects on hearing due to exogenous agents.
In the first investigation, a population of 48 rats was subjected to a localised exposure near the right ear by 3
different sets of 4 loop antennas, one for sham and two for exposed animals (changing loops for 900 and 1800 MHz). 12
animals per set were exposed 2 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks, 2 W/kg of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR).
DPOAE tests were carried out before exposure, during exposure (i.e. at the end of each week) and after (i.e. the last day
of exposure, the day after and one week after). The experiments and the statistical evaluation were performed in blind
mode with respect to the exposure conditions. The experiments, results evaluation and statistical analysis are currently
in progress. However, the preliminary results show that no statistically significant differences were found between the
DPOAE recorded from the two groups.
In the second investigation, 8 guinea pigs (GPs) were treated with daily intramuscular injections of GM at 60
mg/kg (a dose close to ototoxicity) one hour prior to exposure of the left ear to 900-MHz GSM microwaves at a SAR of
2W/kg for 2 hours. They were so treated 5 days/week for 4 weeks. 8 other GPs were submitted to the same GM
treatment but sham-exposed. All GPs were tested before, at the end and one month after the end of the treatment for
DPOAEs and for ABR thresholds. At the end and 1 month after the end of the treatment period, a slight ABR threshold
elevation, at the highest frequency tested (24 kHz), typical of aminoglycoside ototoxicity, was noted. However no
statistically significant difference in threshold elevation was noted between the exposed and sham-exposed groups.
DPOAEs were not modified. A second experiment presently in progress investigates the effects of combined higher
doses of gentamicin (75 mg/kg, 5 days/week, 4 weeks) and of GSM exposure (900 MHz, SAR 4 W/kg, 2 hours/day, 5
days/weeks during 4 weeks).
These study were partially financed by the European Project GUARD Potential adverse effects of GSM cellular
phones on hearing (FP5,QLK4-CT-2001-00150, 2002-2004), by the national research project Salvaguardia delluomo
e dellambiente dalle emissioni elettromagneticheand by a grant from ELETTRA 2000 Consortium.
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
91
O-7-03
SVM-BASED CRITERION FOR CLASSIFICATION AND VARIABLE SELECTION IN
AEPS RECORDED UNDER ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
E. MABY, R. LE BOUQUIN-JEANNS, G. FAUCON
Laboratoire Traitement du Signal et de l'Image, Inserm EMI 9934, Universit de Rennes 1,
Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France, Fax : 33 2 23 23 69 17
OBJECTIVE
This work deals with the study of the influence of radiofrequency (RF) fields emitted by mobile phones on human
auditory cortical activity. We analyze Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEPs) recorded on the scalp of healthy humans and
epileptic patients with or without RF exposure. In this contribution, variables are extracted from AEPs and used in the
learning and testing process of a classifier using Support Vector Machines (SVM).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
AEPs are recorded using a 32 electrodes helmet in response to two pure tones, which are directly emitted through the
loudspeaker while a system allows to control the RF power. An experimental session is devoted to the recording of two
phases: in the first one, no radiofrequency is emitted (phase 1) and in the second one, RF power is maximal (phase 2).
In a second session, which is a control session, we find the two same sequences, but no radiofrequency is emitted. From
the AEPs recorded on a set of 14 selected electrodes [1], we extract electrophysiological characteristics like the N100
and P200 waves' amplitudes and latencies. The other variables are cross measures between AEPs recorded in both
phases: they are the correlation coefficient between signals, the correlation coefficient between spectra, the cepstral
distance and the distance in the time-frequency plane. We base our study on the variable classification using Support
Vector Machines. The variables obtained on healthy subjects (or on epileptic patients), in the control and experimental
sessions, compose the data set. The variable selection algorithm aims at reducing the variables number for
classification. We improve the classification performance of the decision function evaluated on a test set with respect to
its ability to predict the real class. Then, we search for the "best" variables by a backward sequential selection which
ranks the variables with respect to their relevance [2]. Lastly, the greatest discriminating variable is statistically
analyzed by a Wilcoxon signed rank test [3].
RESULTS
From a data set of 10 variables and 504 data (2 sessions 14 electrodes 2 stimuli 9 subjects) for healthy subjects
and 448 data (2 sessions 14 electrodes 2 stimuli 8 patients) for epileptic patients, we assign 70 % of the data set
for the learning period and 30 % for the test. The classification using Support Vector Machines on all variables
indicates a classification performance equal to 0.72 for healthy subjects and 0.78 for epileptic patients. Thus, there is a
correct discrimination of variables according the RF influence. For the healthy subjects, the correlation coefficient
between spectra is the variable the most disturbed by radiofrequencies. Moreover, the Wilcoxon test shows that the
correlation coefficients between spectra obtained in the experimental session are significantly lower than those of the
control session. The decrease of the correlation coefficient is due to the decrease of the correlated spectral components
induced by the radiofrequencies. For the epileptic patients, the N100 latency is the most discriminating variable
obtained by the backward selection. The statistical analysis indicates a significant lengthening of N100 latencies under
RF influence which can be caused by an afferent tract alteration.
REFERENCES
[1] B. Gourevitch, R. Le Bouquin Jeanns, "K-means clustering method for auditory evoked potentials selection",
Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, 41, 2003.
[2] I. Guyon, J. Weston, S. Barnhill, V. Vapnik, "Gene selection for cancer classification using support vector
machines", Machine Learning, 46:389-422, 2002.
[3] S. Siegel, "Non parametric statistics", Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences, McGraw-Hill
editions, pages 68-82. New York, 1956.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
92
O-7-04
EFFECTS OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD OF MOBILE TELEPHONES ON
HEARING OF HUMANS AND RATS
OZTURAN O, KIZILAY A, ERDEM T, MIMAN MC, KALCIOGLU MT
Inonu University, School of Medicine, Turgut Ozal Medical Center,
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Malatya, TURKEY
OBJECTIVE:
The widespread use of mobile telephones has given rise to concern about potential influences of electromagnetic field
(EMF) on health. Although the ear has the closest proximity to mobile telephone, little attention has been paid to the
effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) of mobile telephones on hearing. Hearing loss due to mobile telephone use has
not been described in the medical literature, but if subtle cochlear involvement occurs, it might be detected through
changes in evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). The aims of this study are to investigate the effects of acute short
exposure to EMF emitting from mobile telephones on the hearing of human subjects and relatively longer and chronic
exposure to EMF emitting from mobile telephones on the hearing of adult and developing rats using evoked OAEs.
METHODS:
Thirty volunteers with normal hearing were exposed to 10-minute mobile telephone EMF. Transiently-evoked and
distortion-product OAEs were measured before and after the exposure. On the other hand, seven of 14 adult and four
newborn rats were exposed to one-hour daily mobile telephone EMF for 30 days, while the other seven adult rats were
assigned to control group. Distortion-product OAEs were measured in both groups before and after 30 days of chronic
exposure to EMF. The newborn rats were tested following similar exposure beginning on the 2
nd
day after birth.
RESULTS:
No measurable EMF associated changes in evoked OAEs were detected in human subjects and in adult or developing
rats. Besides, none of the human subjects reported hearing level deterioration.
CONCLUSION:
It was concluded that a 10-minute close exposure of EMF emitting from a mobile telephone had no after-effect on
hearing in human subjects and chronic exposure of EMF, as long as 30 days one hour per day, emitting from a mobile
telephone did not also cause any measurable hearing deterioration in adult and developing rats, at least at outer and
middle ear and cochlear levels. It is speculated that since the cochlea is enclosed by a very dense compact bone and
located relatively deep, this helps to shield it from the mobile telephone EMF. In addition, the cochlea is positioned as
congested with endolymph and perilymph. These two reasons may save the cochlea from heat fluctuations. The
technical features of the GSM telephones may also have a role for not causing any detrimental effect on hearing. In
view of the above, mobile telephones may appear safe on hearing. But it is not sufficient to conclude that long-term
exposure, such as 5 years, to EMF do not lead to any hazardous hearing effects. The measurements of this study had
been restricted by the frequency spectrum of the commercially available OAE instruments designed for human use.
Higher frequency measurements could be able to reveal more comprehensive information about the effects of EMF
exposure. Even a small elevated risk may have a large implication for public health because of commonly use of mobile
telephones worldwide.
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
93
O-7-05
STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF MOBILE TELEPHONE USAGE ON
LABYRINTHINE FUNCTION
PROFESSOR L LUXON
*++
, DR B CERANIC
++
, DR R COX, AND DR P CHADWICK
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery+
+
,
University College London*, and MCL
Low level, radio-frequency signals applied to one side of the head may produce vague symptoms of
disorientation, headache and nausea as a result of stimulation of the balance receptors in the internal ear. This double
blind study will test at least 20 subjects, who complain of specific symptoms, defined by a questionnaire, after
prolonged mobile telephone use (more than 15 minutes) and 20 people, who have no such complaint.
Each person will undergo a series of trials, in which a specially designed device is held, in a standard position, to
each ear for 30 minutes in one of three different test modes. The device can be programmed to emit a pulsed or
continuous radio-frequency emission or no emission and, in the active pulsed and continuous modes, will deliver the
same mean power, on the same GSM900 operating frequency, and will mimic the output of a typical handset. Before
and during/after each trial, subjective visual vertical and horizontal assessment, otoacoustic emissions and video-
oculography will be conducted to determine whether radio-frequency signals cause stimulation of the internal ear.
The ear and mode of operation of the device will be randomly selected for each trial by a computer programme,
such that neither the experimenter, nor the subject is aware of the test mode for any particular trial. After each trial, the
subject will be asked if the device was emitting signals to confirm whether or not he/she was blind to any test radio-
frequency stimulation. At the end of the protocol, each subject will have undergone trials of all three test modes in each
ear. The results of the hearing and balance tests will be compared between trials with and without pulsed emissions and
with and without continuous emissions, between the ears of those subjects with only one symptomatic ear, for both
pulsed and continuous stimulation.
The rationale and protocol for this study will be described, although, as a consequence of the double blind
design, the code for analysis of results will not be broken until the end of the study and results are, therefore, not
available.
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
94
O-7-06
CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO RADIOCELLULAR TELEPHONES
AND AUDITORY SYSTEM
R. DE SEZE
1
, J.-P. ARTAUD
2
, F. ESPA
3-4
, K. MARTIN
4
, S. MARTIN
4
, G. SZWARCBERG
4
,
A. TEISSERENC
4
, M. MONDAIN
2
.
1
INERIS - Parc ALATA - BP 2 - 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte - FRANCE
2
ENT Dept, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, 34295 Montpellier cedex 5 France
3
INSERM E-9930 CRLC Val dAurelle 34298 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
4
Sleep and wake disorders center, Neurology B dept, Gui de Chauliac Hospital,
34295 Montpellier cedex 5 France
INTRODUCTION:
The increasing use of radiocellular telephones (RCT) has raised the problem of the effects of chronic electromagnetic
fields exposure on human health. Up to now many papers have been published concerning the effects of acute RCT
exposure on the auditory system. In a preliminary experiment, a sparse change on distortion products of otoemission
(DPOE) has been observed after 30 min. exposure. We looked in this study to check the effects of chronic exposure to
RCT GSM 900 type on the auditory system.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
55 subjects, 27 males and 28 females, aged from 18 to 40 years (mean age 24.25 3.8 years) who previously used RCT
less than 10 min a day, were selected and randomly divided into two groups: 28 subjects (14 male and 14 female) with
emitting RCT and 27 subjects (13 male and 14 female) with non-emitting RCT.
Subjects underwent a first auditory examination on D-2 (pre-exposure period: PP). The auditory system was tested as
follows: tone and voice audiometry, DPOE exploring the outer ciliated cells (OCC), and medial efferent system through
controlateral stimulation. Three days later (D1), subjects began the exposure period (EP). They came to the lab and
were "exposed" during 4 weeks (until Day 28), 2 hours/day, 5 days/week from 05:00 p.m. to 07:00 p.m. or 06:00 p.m.
to 08:00 p.m.. During exposure, subjects were sitting on a chair, hanging a RCT and watching a movie on TV in order
to sustain attention and initiate a correct holding of the phone. In order to appreciate the reversibility of possible effects
of RCT on psychomotor performances, all subjects were sham-exposed for two more weeks (recovery period: RP).
Auditory tests were performed before the EP (PP) and at the end of the EP (after four weeks of exposure).
RESULTS: no effect was seen on the tone or voice audiometry of the subjects. No effect was seen on DPOE but at one
stimulation frequency: this isolated change with a p of 0.02 is of no physiological meaning, but could be further
explored on a larger sample. Distortion products under controlateral stimulation at 60 dB were slightly modified after
exposure at the higher stimulation frequencies. This effect is worth complementary studies for confirmation and relation
to duration and dose of exposure, but does not support a toxicity on the medial efferent system.
This study was supported by Bouygues Telecom and the Ministry of Ecology
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
95
Session 8
Interaction mechanisms
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
97
O-8-01
ON A NUMERICAL METHOD FOR THE ZEEMAN-STARK MODEL OF LIGAND
BINDING UNDER EM EXPOSURE
B.BIANCO, S.GIORDANO, E.MOGGIA, I. MALLARINI
ICEmB at the Department of Biophysical and Electronic Engineering, University of Genoa,
Via Opera Pia 11a, 16145 Genoa, Italy
The influence of electromagnetic (e.m.) exposure on ligand binding to receptor proteins is described, from the
quantal point of view, by the so-called Zeeman-Stark model [1]. The most recent development of the quantum Zeeman-
Stark model concerns a numerical technique to solve the main equation of the model, the master equation describing the
time evolution of the density matrix of the ion-protein system [2]:
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
+ + + + =
i
i i
i
i i i em bm end
q q
Dm
q
j
H H H
j dt
d
, , ,
2
,
1
2
2
h h h
where H
end
takes into account the endogenous potential generated by the protein, H
bm
describes the metabolic force, H
em
models the exogenous e.m. field and the two last terms represents the friction and the noise force respectively. The
asymptotic solution of such equation is periodical and thus it can be simply handled with Fourier methods. On the other
hand the electrical field intensity may be considered as a small parameter acting on the equation: therefore, each single
Fourier coefficient may be developed in power series in this parameter (electrical field). The biochemical output is the
change of the ligand binding probability due to low intensity electromagnetic exposure at radio frequencies. On the
basis of this new numerical approach seems reasonable to assert that such excess relative exchange probability (y=(p
o
-
p
em
)/p
o
, p
o
probability without field, p
em
probability with field) is proportional to the incident power density of the e.m.
field applied. Two examples of simulation follow:
1) A.Chiabrera, B.Bianco, S.Giordano, S.Bruna, E.Moggia, J.J.Kaufman Ligand Binding under RF EM exposure, in:
B.J.Klauenberg and D.Miklavcic (eds.), Radio Frequency Radiation Dosimetry, 429-447.
2) B. Bianco, E. Moggia, S. Giordano, W. Rocchia, A. Chiabrera Friction and noise in quantum mechanics: a model
for the interactions between a system and a thermal bath, Il Nuovo Cimento Vol.116 B, N.2, Febbraio 2001.
E=50 V/m, F
bm
=1e-17N E=50 V/m, =50 1/sec
y
y
f [Hz]
f [Hz]
F
bm
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
98
O-8-02
A POSSIBLE MECHANISM FOR THE INTERACTION BETWEEN AN ELF
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD AND MEMBRANE DIPOLAR STRUCTURES
M. CAPPELLI, M. LIBERTI, F. APOLLONIO AND G. DINZEO
ICEmB at Dept. of Electronic Engineering, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Recent studies have shown the influence of extremely low frequency (ELF) weak magnetic fields on the
diffusion processes in enzyme-loaded liposomes [1]. A plausible target, in this context, are the electrical charges present
in the dipolar structures embedded in the membrane, e.g. the polar head of phosphatidylcholine. In order to justify these
results an interaction model based on the analysis of dipolar structures behavior in presence of an ELF magnetic field
has been proposed [2].
The problem can be approached by solving classically the equation that describes the motion of the dipole
(charged head of phosphatidylcholine) in a viscous medium under the action of a magnetic field with static and dynamic
components. The possible energy exchange between the dynamic component and the dipolar structure has been
evaluated by analyzing the power transmitted to the dipole both in frequency and time domain. It can be observed that
the energy transfer occurs at specific frequencies: f
s
=
1
2
q
2m
dc B
, the dynamic signal frequency f and their cross-
modulation products [3].
RESULTS
suggest the presence of a
resonant behavior for some of
the cited frequencies. As an
example, Figure 1 shows the
presence of a preferential
transfer of energy to the dipole
when we impose a dynamic
magnetic field at frequencies
close to f
s
=6.49Hz.
In this work the dependence of
the effect from several
parameters such as the amplitude
of the dynamic component of the
magnetic field and the viscosity
of the medium will be analyzed.
Figure 1: Asymptotic mean value of energy for f close to fs (Bdcz = 50T,
Bdcy =5T, Bacz =5T, M = 59) for different values of the viscosity
parameter .
REFERENCES
[1] A. Ramundo-Orlando, U. Morbiducci, G. Mossa, and G. DInzeo, Effect of low-frequency, low-amplitude
magnetic fields on the permeability of cationic liposomes entrapping carbonic anhydrase. I. Evidence for charged lipid
involvement, Bioelectromagnetics, 21:491-498, 2000
[2] A. Ramundo-Orlando, F. Mattia, A. Palombo, and G. DInzeo, Effect of low-frequency, low-amplitude magnetic
fields on the permeability of cationic liposomes entrapping carbonic anhydrase. II. No evidence for surface enzyme
involvement, Bioelectromagnetics, 21:499-507, 2000
[3] R. Schiavo, I. De Sena, M. Liberti, G. DInzeo and A. Ramundo-Orlando . A mechanism of interaction between
ELF electromagnetic field and dipoles present in biological membranes, Abstracts Book, p.187, BEMS 2002, June 23-
27, Quebec City, Canada
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
99
O-8-03
APPLICATION OF A COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY STUDY TO MODEL
EXOGENOUS FIELD ACTION ON MOLECULAR HEME SYSTEM
L. DOMINICI
1
, F. APOLLONIO
1
, G. D'INZEO
1
, M. ASCHI
2
, A. AMADEI
3
1
ICEmB at Dept. of Electronic Engineering, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
2
Dept. of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of lAquila, Italy
3
Dept. of Chemical Sciences and Technology, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy
Objective of this work is the application of a computational procedure based on theoretical first principles in
order to obtain perturbed electronic eigenstates and hence to effectively represent interaction mechanisms of exogenous
electromagnetic fields at molecular and protein level. The specific molecular system (46 atoms) is a subgroup of
hemoglobin (~1360 atoms) represented by deoxyheme, i.e. porphin ring plus iron atom, and imidazole (see Fig. 1).
Attention is focused on the reaction trajectory of a specific molecule binding the Fe atom located at the center of
porphin ring: in this first analysis the molecule is carbon monoxyde CO, successively other molecules as for example
O
2
, fundamental for molecular oxygen transfer, will be taken into account. The procedure, which considers the EM field
as a perturbation of the steady state, describes the molecular system in terms of atomic positions and electronic
molecular orbitals, making use of quantistic "ab initio" chemical models such as HF (Hartree Fock) or DFT (Density
Functional Theory) energy functionals combined with 6-31g or Ahlrich basis sets [2, 3]. The perturbative term takes
into account both the presence of the globin surrounding heme, by means of a specific protein field, and of exogenous
electric fields. The first step consists in building a matrix of points corresponding to different distances of CO and Fe on
the central axis of the porphin ring showed in Fig. 1. With such an approach it is possible to build the potential energy
surface of the binding reaction for the ground state, as shown in Fig. 2. The second step consists in calculating the same
surfaces for a certain number of excited levels. Finally it is possible to use these electronic states as a basis set to
compute the perturbed electronic levels corresponding to the same geometry points. The final objective is to investigate
the effects of an exogenous field on the reaction energy surfaces, hence modifying the bound and the unbound states
that control binding probability and the transition states acting on kinetics of the reaction.
Fig.1 Deoxyheme ring with imidazole and CO Fig. 2 Potential energy surface
REFERENCES
[1] M. Aschi, R. Spezia, A. Di Nola, A. Amadei, "A first principle method to model perturbed electronic wavefunctions: the effect of
an external homogeneous electric field", Chem. Phys. Lett. 344 (2001) 374-380.
[2] P.M. Kozlowski, T.G. Spiro, M.Z. Zgierski, "DFT Study of Structure and Vibrations in Low-Lying Spin States of Five-
Coordinated Deoxyheme Model", J. Phys. Chem. B 2000, 104, 10659-10666.
[3] Gaussian 98 (rev. A7), Gaussian Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (USA), 1998, (http://www.gaussian.com).
C
Fe
d
CO
d
Fe
porphin
imidazole
O
E [Hartree]
d
Fe
[]
d
CO
[]
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
100
O-8-04
TCAD OF MOBILE PHONES: HEADING FOR A GENERIC MODELING APPROACH
PETER FUTTER, NICOLAS CHAVANNES, NEVIANA NIKOLOSKI AND NIELS KUSTER
Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (ITIS), Switzerland
JAFAR KESHVARI AND ANSSI TOROPAINEN, Nokia Research Center, Finland
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:
Today, as a complement to experimental instrumentation, the use of technology computer aided design (TCAD) in areas
of mobile communications has become indispensable. However, in order to effectively support RF engineers in the
design process of new devices, a number of requirements have been expressed by the industry: the tool must be capable
of resolving highly detailed structures, yet still span spatial grid extensions in an efficient way; be highly
computationally efficient; easy to use and have a powerful GUI featuring CAD import. In 2002, a Motorola T250 phone
has been investigated using FDTD (Chavannes et al), whereas for the first time, the inner structure of the phone was
included in the model. The study achieved good agreement between simulated and measured data.
This study, assessing a 8310 type phone by Nokia thus has the following major objectives:
More complex modeling: whereas the T250 model consisted of a single PCB and combined monopole-helix antenna
type, the Nokia 8310 uses a more complex slot antenna and has multiple PCBs, furthermore, substantially more CAD
details have been included.
Generic design procedure: based on both studies and by evaluation of all significant performance parameters,
industrial design capabilities of enhanced TCAD tools should be assessed, finally leading to a generic procedure for the
entire modeling and simulation process applicable to all types of MTE configurations.
METHODS:
All simulations have been performed using the FDTD based simulation platform SEMCAD, specifically tailored for
MTE design, optimization and dosimetry. A highly detailed SAT CAD data set was provided by the manufacturer,
describing the geometry of the phone, which was imported in a straight forward recursive process, starting with the
most significant parts, i.e., the antenna and the PCB. Physical examination supported the modeling process for which
resolutions down to 100m were applied. The simulations have been compared directly to experimental data obtained
from the DASY4 scanners.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:
Rigorous simulation experience which was achieved from the numerical assessment of two CAD based commercial
mobile phone structures enabled the derivation of generic FDTD modeling procedures for MTE which are applicable in
a straight forward manner. Simulations were conducted in free space and with various dielectric loads, whereby all
crucial performance parameters were evaluated and assessed by experimental means. Significant design issues could be
identified numerically, e.g., electric connections, PEC coating, shielding effects and antenna details, and were
successfully reproduced by evaluation of the physical model. Regarding two different phone designs, a good agreement
of simulated and measured results in general as well as the demonstrated specific R&D capabilities in particular state
that feature enhanced TCAD environments are suitable to perform effective support in an industrial device design
throughout all development stages.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
101
O-8-05
ELECTRICAL RESPONSE OF NON SPHERICAL BIOLOGICAL CELL MODELS FROM
DIRECT RF EXPOSURE
J.L. SEBASTIN, S. MUOZ SAN MARTN, M. SANCHO AND J. M. MIRANDA
Departamento de Fsica Aplicada III, Facultad de Fsica. Universidad Complutense de Madrid,
Ciudad Universitaria 28040 Madrid. SPAIN.
This paper presents the theoretical modelling of the electrical response of non spherical cells to an external RF
field. For this, the electric field distribution induced in cell models is calculated and the cell geometry effects on the
polarizability are examined. The results show the importance of using realistic cell shapes with the proper geometry,
electrical properties and orientation of the cell with respect to the applied RF field.
For an explicit solution of Laplace equation, which provides the cell internal field strength distribution, a
spheroid or ellipsoid with a confocal shell must be assumed. It is for this reason that up to now, geometric
configurations representing more realistic cell shapes, such as shelled ellipsoids, with a uniform membrane thickness
have not been studied. Considering that the membrane is a site of high field amplification, it is uncertain how the
detailed geometry and electrical properties of the cell can affect the exactness of the predictions in the electric
behaviour. Therefore, a comparison of the results for the electric field distribution inside the membrane and cytoplasm
of shelled ellipsoid cells with those for the confocal cells is essential in order to get a better insight.
In this work, the cell structure is considered to be formed by two layers, cytoplasm and membrane, and the cell is
immersed in an external continuous medium formed by electrolytes in free water with the dielectric properties of
physiological saline. The relative permittivity of the membrane has been varied from 2 to 22 for both geometries,
whereas the conductance has been kept constant to a negligible value at both working frequencies of 900 and 2450
MHz. For the cytoplasm, the relative permittivity and conductivity have been varied from 30 to 70 and from 0.8 to 1.2
S/m respectively. In the analysis, the orientation of the cell models exposed to RF is varied so that both electric
polarization and magnetic polarizations are considered.
The electric field intensity within the different layers of the cell is found by using a finite element (FE) technique
with an adaptive mesh. For the polarizabilitiy, a boundary element method (BEM) based on an integral equation for the
polarization charge density induced on the dielectric interfaces has been used.
The results show that at 900 MHz, the values of the electric field intensity within the membrane are higher than
the values found at 2450 MHz. For a uniformly shelled cell the field strength value is higher than the value found for a
confocal geometry. Also, the values of the E field for magnetic polarization are higher than for electric polarization. The
influence of the cytoplasm conductivity is not as strong as the permittivity, being the maximum differences between the
highest and lowest electric field intensity values of 2%. For magnetic polarization, it is also found that the longitudinal
polarizability value of shelled cells is always higher than the polarizability value of confocal cell structures. The
variation of the longitudinal polarizability with the membrane permittivity value has been found to be much more
significant than the variation with both the permittivity and conductivity of the cytoplasm.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
102
O-8-06
A POSSIBLE ENERGY ACCUMULATION MECHANISM
V.O. PONOMAREV, A.V. KARNAUKHOV
Institute of Cell Biophysics RAS, Pushchino, Russia
We consider the mechanism of weak low frequency EMF absorption by biological objects. Many theoretical
works dealing with this matter face so-called kT-problem. The main point of this problem is that the energy of EMF
is far smaller than the energy of stochastic motion. With the aim to solve kT-problem we suppose that in biological
systems on exposure to external periodic field self- organization process may occur. We present two theoretical models
to illustrate our assumption.
The targets of EMF in the cell may be ions or electric and magnetic dipoles but their additional energy due to the
external force is negligible in comparison with the temperature noise. However if the motions of the ions or dipoles are
strongly correlated their total energy will exceed the noise. In this case the external field acts upon a certain ordered
structure. Such a structure may already exist in the cell and also can be formed upon exposure. We consider both of
these cases.
We call the first model as internal protein dynamics. We follow the hypothesis that weak external
electromagnetic field change the dissociation probability of ion-protein complexes in the cell. As well known proteins
consist of domains which can have an electric charge and/or dipole moment. On exposure to EMF these domains make
certain mechanical oscillations. Owing to interactions between the domains their moves can have a collective character.
As a result elastic waves arise in the protein. Effect of each of domains to the ion in protein potential well leads to
increase in the ion energy and finally enhances its dissociation probability. In this case EMF acts upon the ordered
structure (protein) that have already existed in the cell.
The second model describes formation of ordered structure due to the exposure. We call it as dissipative
resonance. We consider interaction between complexes through visco-elastic medium in which they are located. In the
cell the role of this medium can be played by the cell membrane in the case that the proteins are connected with the
membrane or by structural water in the opposite case. Owing to action of EMF upon ion in the protein the complex
oscillate within the medium. These oscillations lead to spread elastic waves through medium providing interaction
between complexes. Then complexes drift along the waves to their stationary positions. In these positions the distance
between complexes are divisible by length of wave. So we have self-organization process in our system. Such a
phenomenon results in increase in the oscillation amplitude by each complex proportionally to the number of complexes
involved in the process. Provided a rather great number of complexes involved in the process the energy of each
complex would exceed the temperature noise.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
103
Session 9
In-vitro studies
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
105
O-9-01
TIME-VARYING ELF FIELDS EFFECTS ON A SINGLE-CELL
DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM (PROTISTA)
AMAROLI ANDREA, TRIELLI FRANCESCA, BIANCO BRUNO
*
, GIORDANO STEFANO
*
MOGGIA ELSA
*
, DELMONTE CORRADO MARIA UMBERTA
Department for the Study of the Territory and its Resources, *Department of Biophysical and
Electronic Engineering, University of Genoa, Italy.
Many reports have demonstrated that several biological systems are affected by weak, extremely-low-frequency
(ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). Due to their peculiarity of single-cell eukaryote organisms, Protists directly
respond to environmental stimuli, thus appearing as very suitable experimental systems. In addition, they are cultured in
the laboratory under conditions similar to those occurring in nature, so that their biological responses are observed in a
quasi-natural environment. Recently, we showed the presence of a propionylcholinesterase (PrChE) activity in single-
cell amoebae of D. discoideum. This enzyme activity was proposed as being involved in cell-cell and cell-environment
interactions, as its inhibition by xenobiotic compounds affected cell multiplication and aggregation. In this work, we
exposed single-cell amoebae of D. discoideum to an ELF-EMF of 180 T, 50 Hz, for 3h or 24h at 22C, with the aim of
testing whether such field would affect the phases of the developmental cycle, and PrChE activity. A 10-turns coil
driving a suitable current gives the exposure system that we have used to generate such ELF field. This coil is supplied
by an A.C. voltage of 220 V
rms
with a series resistance of 484 , so that a current of 0.45 A appears in the circuit
generating the above-stated magnetic field. Actually, a delay in the early phase of the differentiation was observed in
3h-exposed cells, and a significant decrease in fission rate appeared in 24h-exposed cells. The PrChE activity was
significantly lower than the controls in 3h-exposed cells, whereas 24h-exposed cells exhibited an increase in this
enzyme activity.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
106
O-9-02
EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND INSULIN GROWTH FACTOR-I ON
PROTEOGLYCAN SYNTHESIS IN BOVINE ARTICULAR CARTILAGE.
MONICA DE MATTEI
1
, AGNESE PELLATI
1
,
MICHELA PASELLO
1
, LEO MASSARI
2
, DONATO
GEMMATI
3
, ALESSIA ONGARO
1
,
AND ANGELO CARUSO
1
.
1
Department of Morphology and Embriology, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
2
Department of Biomedical Science and Advanced Therapy, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
3
Center for the Study of Haemostasis and Thrombosis, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
kit (Dako, France). One million cells were incubated for 15 minutes in 96 l
of buffer with 1 l of Annexin-V-FITC and 2.5 l of PI (50 g/ml). The samples are incubated on ice for 10 minutes.
250 l of buffer were then added before analysis. The decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential was measured
using the carbocyanine dye DiOC
6
(3). After treatment, 2x10
5
to 10
6
cells were incubated for 10-15 minutes in 500 l of
PBS containing 40 nM of DiOC
6
(3) and PI (50 g/ml) was added before the sample was analysed. Samples were coded
and data analysis was performed in a blind manner The Student t test was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS:
No significant effect on apoptosis was detected in U937 cells immediately or 4 hours after a one-hour exposure to
GSM-900 at 0.7 W/kg. By contrast, treatment with the known pro-apoptotic camptothecin was able to induce a
statistically significant increase in apoptosis (9 and 4-fold mean increase with p< 0.01, as determined by Annexin V and
DiOC
6
(3) staining, respectively). When the cells were pre-treated with GSM-900 before camptothecin treatment, a
higher but not statistically significant percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis was detected compared to samples
sham-exposed to RFR and treated with the chemical (9.6 1.4 fold increase versus 8.0 1.1 fold increase in Annexine
V staining, respectively, p = 0.49).
CONCLUSIONS:
Under the exposure conditions tested, GSM-900 did not by themselves induce apoptosis in the U937 immune cell line
nor did they influence the apoptotic process induced by a potent apoptogenic agent. Experiments using a higher SAR
(2 W/kg) are on-going.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
This work was supported by the 5
th
Framework Programme of the European Union (REFLEX programme), the
Aquitaine Council for Research and the CNRS.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
108
O-9-04
IN VITRO STUDIES ON PROMYELOCYTIC CELLS WITH THE HELP OF GENE
EXPRESSION PROFILING ON CDNA MICROARRAYS SHOW AN INCREASE OF
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AFTER RF-EMF EXPOSURE
C. MAERCKER
1
, K. SCHLATTERER
2
, R. GMINSKI
2
, J. SCHUDERER
3
, N. KUSTER
3
, F. ADLKOFER
4
,
R. FITZNER
2
, R. TAUBER
2
Members of the EU REFLEX consortium:
1
RZPD Resource Center for Genome Research, Im Neuenheimer Feld 580,
D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany, maercker@rzpd.de.
2
Dept. of Clinical Chemistry, Free University, D-12200 Berlin, Germany.
3
ITIS, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
4
VERUM foundation, 80336 Munich, Germany.
Human promyelocytic cells (HL-60 cell line) were exposed to two different RF-electromagentic fields in two
independent experiments (a) 1800 MHz, DTX only, SAR=1.0 W/kg, 5 min on/5 min off, 24 h; b) 1800 MHz, DTX
only, SAR=1.3 W/kg, continuous wave, 24 h). Sham-exposed cells served as controls. After RNA isolation from the
cultured cells, a whole-genome gene expression analysis was performed with all samples (two independent
hybridizations). 75,000 genes and ESTs (expressed sequence tags), spotted in duplicates, were analyzed in parallel
(Human Unigene RZPD-2 cDNA array). After phosphorimaging and data analysis with the help of specialized software
tools, large tables showed all genes up- or down-regulated, respectively, in exposed compared to sham-exposed cells
(altogether, 8 independent ratios for each gene). For a more detailed data mining process, we selected only genes which
were at least 5-fold regulated in one of both expression profilings, or from genes belonging to the 10% highest
expressed genes which were at least 2-fold regulated, or which were reproducibly up- or down-regulated, respectively,
by comparing both gene expression profilings.
The change in gene expression was most obvious with gene families involved in protein synthesis: 48 clones of
ribosomal proteins showed an up-regulation after RF-EMF exposure, only 7 genes were down-regulated. Also, the
majority of genes belonging to the group of translation initiation factors (e.g. eIF4E) and translation elongation factors
were up-regulated (4 clones up-regulated, 1 clone down-regulated). Accordingly, some genes involved in energy
turnover were also up-regulated: different subunits of ATP synthase (and down-regulation of ATPase), cytochrome and
cytochrome oxidase, and NADH dehydrogenase. In addition, we have found some factors involved in transcriptional
regulation (down-regulation of nucleolin, up-regulation of histones, up-regulation of histone deacetylases, general
transcription factors II, IIA, IIIA, topoisomerase). Some signaling proteins point to a more general activation or even
differentiation of HL-60 cells, like protein kinase C as a central signal transmitter for second messengers and G-protein
mediated signaling, or retinoic acid induced proteins (3 genes).
We conclude that our molecular gene expression assay shows that mammalian cells seem to react on
electromagnetic fields in a very distinct way. After knowing that protein synthesis is elevated after EMF exposure, we
can ask now if the cells proliferate and how this process is regulated. While we might exclude that apoptosis is induced
(e.g. down-regulation of a bcl-2 like protein and to bcl-2 associated molecules), we have to take into consideration that
some markers for differentiation of the cells into granulocytes or mononuclear phagocytes obviously are involved.
Moreover, the regulation of different ion-channels might give us an idea about reception of RF-EMF by human cells.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
109
O-9-05
MICROWAVE EXPOSURE SYSTEM FOR PATCH CLAMP RECORDING EQUIPMENT
F. DUELLI, M. LIBERTI, F. APOLLONIO, AND G. DINZEO
ICEmB at Dept. of Electronic Engineering, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
INTRODUCTION:
Ionic currents flowing through proteinic membrane channels can be recorded using patch clamp techniques [1]. Such
investigations have assumed increasing interest in bioelectromagnetic research. Possible changes in the biophysical
properties of ionic currents (i.e. activation and inactivation kinetics) could reveal a modification or rearrangement of the
molecular structure of the channels induced by electromagnetic fields, and can assume a crucial role in clarifying basic
biophysical interaction mechanisms. Patch-Clamp investigations are performed by thin glass microelectrode applied to
membrane of cells contained in a Petri dish. The Petri dish is positioned on a microscope stage in order to allow the
electro-physiologist to see clearly the cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The exposure system has been designed in order to obey to some requirements related to the equipments used in the
biological laboratory and to the controlled and efficient propagation of the microwaves in the structure. The first ones
are related with the optical transparency of the exposure area, maximum focusing of the microscope, and minimum
transparent window. Second class of constraints must be respected in the structure in order to achieve a proper
electromagnetic functioning: good matching between the structure and the input cable in the chosen frequency range
[0.9 - 2.2] GHz, good uniformity of fields over the sample and high efficiency >10 (=SAR
sample
/P
inc
).
The EM structure chosen is a modified coplanar waveguide (CPW) [2] suitable to replace the microscope stage on
which the Petri dish is positioned. The structure is designed with a characteristic impedance of 50 at input ports, and
by means of progressive matching in transversal dimensions, reaches a 61 impedance in the central zone where the
biological set-up requirements are respected. The overall characteristics of the exposure system allow the propagation
of the fundamental quasi-TEM mode only. The main advantage is the direction of E field almost orthogonal to the glass
electrode minimizing the interference of the field with the electrophysiological measure.
RESULTS: Once the system has been realized, SAR measurements have been conducted by thermometric method.
Figure 1 reports a normalised comparison of measurements and simulations obtained with HFSS (Ansoft Corporation)
for SAR distribution in different positions in the Petri dish. The maximum final efficiency estimated by measurements
is around =40 [(W/kg)/W].
Figure 1: Normalised comparison between measured SAR values along the axes (1-6) and simulation results
(Calculated = line, Measured = dots)
REFERENCE
[1] E. Neher and B. Sakmann (eds.), Single-Channels Recording, Plenum, New York, pp 135-174, 1983
[2] K.C. Gupta, R. Garg, I. Bahl, P. Barthia, Microstrip lines and slotlines, Artech House, Boston/ London, II
edition, 1996.
* This work
was supported in part by the Ministry of University, Technology and Scientific Re-search (AdP
MURST/ENEA-CRN) and by the European Union, V Frame-Work Program under the RAMP2001 Project.
1
2
3
4
5
6
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
110
O-9-06
ALTERATION OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION BY NEURON EXCITATION-
SYNCHRONIZED HIGH-POWER MICROWAVE PULSES: A REPLICATION STUDY
ANDREI PAKHOMOV
1,2
. JOANNE DOYLE*
1
, AND MICHAEL MURPHY
2
1
McKesson BioServices Corporation, US Army Medical Research Detachment
2
Directed Energy Bioeffects Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate,
Air Force Research Laboratory
Brooks City-Base, San Antonio, Texas, 78235-5324, USA
BACKGROUND:
Our previous studies in diverse objects (yeast and mammalian cells, isolated brain and heart slices) exposed to
extremely high power microwave pulses (EHPP) did not reveal any bioeffects other than thermal [1,2]. However, recent
experiments with EHPP applied in synchrony with evoked postsynaptic potentials indicated that the latter could be
suppressed without appreciable microwave heating [3]. The present study attempted to replicate this observation under
more stringent experimental conditions.
METHODS:
Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in CA1 field of isolated rat hippocampal slices were continually evoked by
twin pulse stimulation of Schaffer collateral (20 ms interpulse interval, 1 pair/15 sec). The EPSPs were recorded
extracellularly with a glass micropipette (2-8 Mohm) for 5 min before EHPP or sham exposure, for 10 min during it,
and for 10 min after. EHPPs (9.6 GHz, 2-s, 740 kW/g) were triggered once every 15 sec: 2 ms prior to the 1st
electrical stimulus (A); or 3.5-4.5 ms after the stimulus, during EPSP rising phase (B); or 14-16 ms after the stimulus,
between the EPSPs (C); or at 1-Hz rate independently from the stimuli (D). In A, B, and C, EHPP briefly raised the
temperature by 0.3-0.4
o
C, but with 15-sec interval between them, gross heating was negligible. In D (positive control),
the temperature increased by 1.5-2
o
C. Each brain slice was used in a single experiment and then discarded.
RESULTS:
The data were collected from 63 experiments (10-14 per group). In sham-exposed slices and in A exposed group,
EPSP showed no significant changes. In the other 3 groups, EPSP decreased to almost equal extent (by about 20%,
p<0.05), and the onset of this change coincided with the beginning of exposure. Test EPSP (the 2nd in each pair)
decreased significantly in C and D groups. These effects were similar to those reported earlier [3] or even more
profound. Except for the positive control D group, the effects are unlikely to be explained by heating. However, the
possibility of artifact readings due to interference with EHPP needs further investigation.
REFERENCES:
[1] Pakhomov et al., Bioelectromagnetics 2000, 21(4), 245-254.
[2] Pakhomov et al., Bioelectromagnetics 2003, 24(3), 174-181. [3] Doyle et al., Abstracts of the 25th Annual BEMS
Meeting, in press.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The work was supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory
under U.S. Army contract DAMD17-94-C-4069 awarded to McKesson BioServices Corporation.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
111
O-9-07
MECHANISMS OF CELL ACTIVATION PROCESSES AFTER EXPOSURE TO
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS.
M. SIMK, M. LUPKE J. ROLLWITZ AND M. LANTOW
University of Rostock, Institute of Cell Biology and Biosystems Technology, Division of Environmental Physiology,
Albert Einstein St.3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany,
e-mail: myrtill.simko@biologie.uni-rostock.de.
Electromagnetic fields (EMF) such as those from electric power transmission and distribution lines (50/60 Hz)
have been associated with increased risk of childhood leukaemia, cancer of the nervous system, and lymphomas.
Several in vitro studies on EMF effects were performed to clarify the existing controversies, define the risks and to
determine the possible mechanisms of adverse effects. In some of these reports, the effects were related to other
mechanisms of carcinogenesis. There are several indications of cellular responses induced by electromagnetic fields in
vitro. Because EMFs are considered as a "possibly carcinogenic to humans" an attempt was made to test activation
processes such as free radical production and cytokines release in murine and human primary immune relevant cells.
Murine macrophages and human umbilical cord blood-derived monocytes were used to study the cellular production of
ROS and cytokines as a parameter for cell activation. Cells were exposed to 50 Hz EMF at 1.0 mT for 45 min or to
1800 MHz (using different SARs and signal modulations). Super oxide and NO production were measured by
colorimetric and flow cytometric methods. The generation of IL-1 was determined by ELISA. We found a significant
increase of super oxide production after exposure to EMF and also after treatment with different chemicals in the used
cells. Additional increase of super oxide production was detected in some experiments after co-exposure to EMF and
chemicals. Heat shock treatment showed also a significant increase in super oxide release which seems to correlate with
the EMF-effect. No differences for NO production could be detected after EMF-exposure in any case. Protein analysis
using 950 different antibodies showed that after exposure to 50 Hz EMF more than 70 proteins are up-regulated and
more than 130 proteins are down regulated. Our results demonstrate that EMF influence several aspects in biological
systems. The mechanisms which are involved in the cellular reactions are discussed.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
112
O-9-08
STATIC MAGNETIC FIELDS MODULATE THE KINETICS OF APOPTOSIS AND
SECONDARY NECROSIS IN HL60 AND GLIOBLASTOMA CELLS
CLAVARINO G*, BERGAMASCHI A, CERELLA C, DARZYNKIEWICZ Z**, DE NICOLA M, GHIBELLI
L, GOEDHE W
, SMOLEWSKY P
osmotic minipumps (DURECT Corp., Cupertino, CA, USA) fitted with Teflon
muscle
SAR
ankle
(1), A' = (i, j)(i, j) /
muscle
i, j
(2)
Where
muscle
is the conductivity of high-water content tissue such as muscle, (i, j) and (i, j) are the section area
and the conductivity of the voxel at a lattice coordinate (i, j) in the ankle sections.
Figure 2 shows frequency characteristics of the ankle 1-g SARs calculated in the heterogeneous and the
homogeneous human-body model, and those corrected by the effective cross-section and by the tissue-weighted one.
The correction formula is as follows;
SAR
corrected
=
I
hom ogeneous
2
2/ 3muscle
(A
2
or
A
2
)
=
muscle
E
hom ogeneous
2
A
actual
A
2
or
A
2
(3)
It is shown that the homogeneous model provides underestimation about the ankle SAR (1-g peak). It is also
shown that the corrected SAR values are closely approximated to that of the heterogeneous (realistic) model.
(a) wholebody view (b) vertical-section view
Figure 1: Numerical human model Figure 2: Frequency characteristics of the ankle 1-g SARs
REFERENCE
[1] ICNIRP, Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time-varying Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields (up to
300 GHz), Health Phys., Vol. 74, pp.494-522, 1998.
[2] Tanaka et. al, Proceedings of the ISAP i-02, Yokosuka, pp.504-507, 2002.
[3] Gajvek et. al, IEEE Trans. on Biomed Eng., Vol. 48, pp.1169-1177, 2001.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
164
P-043
CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE WESTERN PROTECTION STANDARDS
HUBERT TRZASKA
EM Environment Protection Lab, Tech. Univ. of Wroclaw, Poland
A protection standard creates the most important legal basis for any step in order to improve labour safety or
environment protection. The most important feature of any regulation is its simplicity, it should be comprehensible and
realizable. These features are especially important in our field as exposure inspections are usually done by personnel
involved in surveying other physical and chemical factors and electromagnetic field (EMF) is not the most important of
them. The author will not suggest a negation of any standard. The aim of the paper is to call an attention of the people
involved that the above features of the standard are not fulfilled in EMF protection standards accepted in the Western
World.
With few exceptions the western protection standards are based upon an assumption of the SAR. The SAR plays
here a role of the basic restriction. Then are estimated, so called, reference levels as shows the following procedure:
biomedical investigations - SAR - a safety factor - model analyses - reference levels.
The procedure is fully correct. However, every one its step is loaded with an error as estimated and setup below:
biomedical investigations (exposure system & laboratory analyses) above 30%
SAR estimation (according to the literature data) one order of magnitude
safety factor 10 or 50
model analyses 15 - 25%
As it may be concluded the total inaccuracy of the procedure well exceeds 100% it would suggest a flexibility
while the standard is formulated. An example of simple and easily realiazable exposure limits is shown in table.
frequency range E, S H
0 f 1 kHz 25 kV/m 2,5 kA/m
1 kHz < f 100 kHz 1 kV/m 25 A/m
0,1 MHz < f 30 MHz 100 V/m 0,25 A/m
30 MHz < f 300 MHz 100 V/m
300 MHz < f 300 GHz
25 W/m
2
The table is only an example and nothing more, the author has never proposed protection levels. It should be
done only by biologists and medical doctors.
E/H ratio within frequency range 0.1-30 MHz illustrates mentioned flexibility. 6% difference in relation to the
intrinsic impedance of vacuum is only small part of estimated inaccuracy of the whole procedure and may be accepted
as a price of the simplicity.
In the standard, intended for general use, only E, H and S should be accepted as "basic restrictions" since they are
measurable quantities. The SAR may play essential role in basic research; as immeasurable quantity it should be
excluded from the practice.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
165
P-044
POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF RF/MW RADIATION ON THE IONOSPHERE
ROGER COGHILL,
Coghill Research Laboratories, Lower Race, Pontypool, Wales UK
Since the beginning of the oxygenated world, ozone (O
3
) forms a layer in the stratosphere, thinnest in the tropics
(around the equator) and denser towards the poles. The amount of ozone above a point on the earth's surface is
measured in Dobson units (DU) - typically ~260 DU near the tropics and higher elsewhere, though there are large
seasonal fluctuations. It is created when ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) strikes the stratosphere, dissociating (or
"splitting") oxygen molecules (O
2
) to atomic oxygen (O). In the absence of sunlight the atomic oxygen quickly re-
combines with further oxygen molecules to form ozone:
O
2
+ hv -> O + O (1)
O + O
2
-> O
3
(2)
(1/v = wavelength < ~ 240 nm)
In the stratosphere ozone thus absorbs potentially harmful ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the sun (at
wavelengths between 240 and 320 nm) which can inter alia cause skin cancer and damage vegetation. For the last 50
yrs or so RF transmissions have increasingly used the ionosphere underside (the Kenelly-Heaviside layers) as a means
of transmission beyond the earths curvature horizon. Inevitably such radiations have been partially absorbed by this
insult.
Over-horizon RF transmissions began in the early 1920s. Dramatic loss of ozone in the lower stratosphere over
Antarctica was first noticed in the 1970s by a research group from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Today the UHF
and other frequency transmissions from TV, doubled now by cellphone telephony, exist all night when, prior to
radio/TV, solar radiation was completely absent from the planets dark side, permitting ozone recovery. The question
arises whether these increasing RF/MW radiations are depleting the ozone layer from underneath, and contributing to
already dangerously high and increasing depletion levels. It is noticeable that depletion is most evident above white
surfaces (e.g the poles and Switzerland) and cities with high electromagnetic traffic. It was anticipated that limiting
CFC production would lead to a recovery of the ozone layer within 50 years of 2000; the World Meteorological
Organisation estimated 2045 (WMO reports #25, #37), but recent investigations suggest the problem is perhaps on a
much larger scale than anticipated, and affecting middle latitudes.
McLaughlan (1992) reported that weak AC magnetic fields can delay chemical reactions with no lower exposure
limit. He proposed that this effect was due to the action of the fields on the spin state of electrons, delaying the reaction.
Ozone is also destroyed by the following reaction:
O + O
3
-> O
2
+ O
2
(3)
a reaction which could also ensue from weak AC magnetic field exposure. In this study we measure the amount
of ozone from ionisation in terms of negatively charged ions created in a closed container from a miniature negative
ioniser with and without exposure to an RF source.
There is a close correlation between the advent and rise of global satellite TV, mobile phone and RF/MW usage,
and ozone depletion, all beginning to show significant changes in the mid/late 1970s.
If this finding is correct, the continued and increasing level of nocturnal radio/TV/cellphone transmissions should
be regarded as a global health hazard, and restricted accordingly.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
166
P-045
GROUNDING THE HUMAN BODY TO EARTH REDUCES CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
AND RELATED CHRONIC PAIN
CLINTON OBER AND ROGER COGHILL
Coghill Research Laboratories, Lower Race, UK
INTRODUCTION:
This paper presents evidence that grounding the human body to earth reduces chronic inflammation and related chronic
pain. When the body is electrically grounded to the earth, the direct current (DC) voltage of the earth creates, in effect, a
natural electron shield (Faraday cage) on the surface of the body. This natural shield then prevents environmental 50-60
Hz electric fields from creating electron disturbances in the body which may elevate free radical levels and promote
chronic inflammation and pain.
The normal inflammatory response is, in part, a burst of free radicals produced by the immune system in
response to an injury. This natural production of free radicals occurs to prevent infection and to promote healing at a
site of injury. Research findings support this conclusion, as follows: when the human body is grounded (1) induced
body voltage is significantly reduced; (2) cortisol, a well-known biomarker for stress and inflammation, normalizes; (3)
test subjects experience a significant reduction in chronic inflammation and related chronic pain; and, (4) current
research (see Refs) suggests that exposure to environmental 50-60 Hz electromagnetic fields increases free radicals and
lengthens their lifespan in the body.
Exposure to environmental 50-60 Hz electromagnetic fields increases concentrations of free radicals, lengthens
their lifespan, and enhances the probability that they can do damage to the body (Bonnafous 1999, Brezitskaia 2000,
Cannistraro 1980, Eveson 2000, Fernie 2001, Fiorani 1997, Hanel, 2000, Jajte 2000, Koana 1997, Roy 1995, Simko
2001(A), Simko 2001(B), Scaiano 1995, Scaiano 1994(A), Scaiano 1994(B), Supino 2001, Varani 2000, Yoshikawa
2000, Zmyslony 1998). The known effect of an electric field on the body is that it excites (disturbs) electrons of the
body and creates unnatural induced voltage in the body. (US Dept of Energy, DOE/EE-0040) (On The Physics of
Fields, Dolbear, Science, Volume 14, Issue 360, 442-444.) Using a voltmeter referenced to earth, this disturbance of the
bodys electrons is measurable on the surface of the body as 50-60 Hz voltage.
The shielding effect of the earths natural electric field: It is
demonstrable with a voltmeter that physical contact with the earth
maintains the human body at the natural electrical potential (voltage) of the
earth. We propose that when the body is electrically coupled with the earth,
the DC electrons of the earth and/or its related electric field, then residing
on the surface of the body, absorb the excitation effects of 50-60 Hz
environmental electric fields. By transferring (offsetting) the attraction of
an electric field from the body (which has a limited supply of electrons) to
the earth (which has an infinite supply of electrons), excitation of the
bodys electrons is significantly reduced. When the body is shielded with
the DC of the earth, the electrons of the body are then protected from being
disturbed and held hostage as 50-60 Hz induced body voltage and away
from their normal functions. [The shielding of electronic cables and
electronic equipment by grounding their housing to the earth is widely used
as a method to prevent internal electromagnetic interference]
Sampling of AC electric field induced
voltage measured on subjects bodies
while lying in their own beds
Subjec
t
Before
Grounding
After
Grounding
1 3.940 V 0.003 V
2 1.470 V 0.001 V
3 2.700 V 0.004 V
4 1.200 V 0.002 V
5 2.700 V 0.005 V
6 1.670 V 0.005 V
7 5.950 V 0.008 V
8 3.940 V 0.008 V
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
167
P-046
NO INFLUENCE OF 50 Hz CONTINUOUS MAGNETIC FIELD EXPOSURES ON
COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN HUMAN.
MARIE DELHEZ
1
, SERGE BRDART
2
, JEAN-JACQUES LEGROS
1
AND MARION CRASSON
1
1 BelgianBioElectroMagnetic Group, Psychoneuroendocrinology Unit, University of Lige,
CHU Sart-Tilman, B-35, B-4000 Lige, Belgium
2 Cognitive Psychology, University of Lige, B-32, Boulevard du rectorat, B-4000 Lige, Belgium
The issue posed by extremely low frequency (ELF) (0-300 Hz), magnetic field (MF) exposure effects on health is
also related to non cancer topics such as effects on cognitive function. Some animal studies suggest an effect on
different cognitive abilities such as a reduced spatial learning in rats. In human, evidence is accumulating that exposure
to extremely low electromagnetic fields may affect cerebral and cognitive functioning (e.g. event-related potentials,
attention and learning) although the conditions under which an effect can be detected are not well defined. A dose-
response relationship has not yet been established. For example, performance on selective attention (e.g. binary reaction
time task) may be altered using specific combinations of electric and magnetic fields at a low intensity, whereas it
maintains stable at higher intensities (Graham et al., 1994). Overall, effects are transient and subtle, not easily
reproduced and not all studies have reported significant effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate
cognitive effects of a continuous, vertical extremely low frequency (50 Hz) magnetic field (MF) of 20 T and 400 T in
healthy young men during performance of a series of complex cognitive tests, under high mental load. Thirty-two
volunteers (20-30 years old, mean 22.6 2.2 years) participated in the double-blind study. The test protocol consisted
of a set of memory, attention and time perception tests (divided attention, flexibility, updating, digit span, digit span
with articulary suppression and time perception). The total duration of the exposition was 01:05h. Three conditions in
the helmet (sham exposure, 20 T and 400 T) and one condition out of the helmet in order to assess the effect of
subjects' expectancies were assigned to each of the participants. Neither effect of magnetic field exposure nor effect of
subjects' expectancies were observed on performance measures.
Graham, C., Cook, M.R., Cohen, H.D., Gerkovich, M.M. (1994). Dose response study of human exposure to 60
Hz electric and magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 15:447-463.
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
168
P-047
EFFECTS OF MOBILE PHONE EXPOSURE ON HEARING FUNCTION
OF USERS
SULEYMAN DASDAG* AND M. FARUK OKTAY**
Biophysics* and ENT Departments of Dicle University Medical Faculty, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey
Public and scientific awareness of questions about mobile phone safety has been increased greatly in the last few
years. However, since radiofrequency auditory phenomenon has been widely recognized as one of the most interesting
biological effects of RF (1), the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of radiation emitted from mobile
phones on hearing function of users. The study were carried out on two type of mobile phone users, which are ordinary
users and users talking more than two hours in a day. Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometer (BERA) and traditional
audiometric methods were used to measure the effects of exposure under investigation on hearing functions of subjects.
In BERA measurements, I-III, III-V and I-V interpeak latencies were evaluated. Interpeak latency of subjects in two
experimental groups was compared with subjects in control group, who having never used mobile phones until now.
BERA results showed no differences between two experimental groups and control group (p>0.05).
In traditional audiometric measurements, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz frequencies
of hearing threshold were measured in subjects of two experimental and control groups. Any differences were not
observed between normal mobile phone users (10-20 minutes in a day) and subjects in control group (unexposed
persons from mobile phones until now). However, hearing threshold of mobile phone users who are talking more than
two hours in a day were found higher than ordinary mobile phone users and subjects in control group. It means that
hearing loss was observed in more talking users. 250 Hz and 4000 Hz of bone and air conductions of right ear, and 500
Hz, 1000 Hz, 4000 Hz, 8000 Hz of bone and air conductions of left ear were found significant in terms of mean hearing
threshold. All the results were evaluated by means of ANOVA (SPSS) statistical program.
Right Ear Left Ear
Mean hearing
threshold
Bone Conduction
(dB)
Air Conduction
(dB)
Bone Conduction
(dB)
Air Conduction
(dB)
Users (speak
more than two
hours in a day)
14.49 6.63
15.74 6.43
16.43 6.97
18.47 6.27
Ordinary users
(10-20 min. in a
day)
11.29 4.53
13.51 3.34
12.91 5.21
16.01 3.61
Subjects in
control group
(unexposed)
11.29 5,0
13.37 3.88
12.29 4.8
14.5 4.1
Table1. Traditional audiometer results of two types of mobile phone users and control group.
REFERENCES
1. Meric F, Dasdag S, Vergili K.1998. Do radiofrequency radiation affect the auditory system of people with
occupational exposure, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 3(1): 55-58.
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
169
P-048
EFFECTS OF RADIOFREQUENCIES (RF) ON HEARING FUNCTION OF PEOPLE
OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO RF
M. FARUK OKTAY*, SULEYMAN DASDAG**, SEBAHATTIN CUREOGLU***, MUSA CEBE*,
MEHMET YAZICIOGLU*, FARUK MERIC*, ISMAIL TOPCU*
Dept. of ENT* and Dept. of Biophysics**,
Medical Faculty ofDicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey.
Dept. of Otolaryngology***, Medical Faculty of Minnesota University , Minnesota, USA
The effects of RF and microwave radiation on human have been a subject of continuing investigations. Clinical
investigations on occupational microwave and/or RF exposure in humans have been reported by investigators (1). Since
one of the major occupationally exposed groups is that who has been working in radio broadcasting and TV transmitter
stations the present study intended to investigate whether RF affects auditory system of people exposed to RF. The
study carried out on people working in radio broadcasting and TV transmitter stations. Subjects in experimental group
have been also living in quarters of the broadcasting station. However, the entire subjects in control group were similar
in age, work regime and socioeconomic status, and having never worked with RF sources.
Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometer (BERA) and traditional audiometric methods were used to measure the
effects of RF under investigation on hearing functions of subjects. In BERA measurements, I-III, III-V and I-V
interpeak latencies were evaluated. Interpeak latencies of subjects in experimental groups were compared with subjects
in control group. BERA results showed that I-III and I-V interpeak latencies of people occupationally exposed to RF
were found higher than subjects in control groups P<0.05). However, III-V interpeak latencies were not found
significant p>0.05). The results of BERA indicated that nucleus and cochlear nerves of subjects in experimental group
affected by radiofrequency radiation.
In traditional audiometric measurements, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz frequencies
of hearing threshold were measured in subjects of experimental and control groups. Hearing threshold of people
occupationally exposed to RF were found higher than control subject for frequencies of 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz in terms
of bone and air conduction of right and left ear (p<0.01). It means that hearing loss was observed in this subjects for
frequencies mentioned above. The results of traditional audiometer indicated that RF promotes sensorineural hearing
loss and affects cochlea parts related to 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz. All the results were evaluated by means of ANOVA
(SPSS) statistical program.
Right Ear Left Ear
Mean hearing
threshold
Bone Conduction
(dB)
Air Conduction
(dB)
Bone Conduction
(dB)
Air Conduction
(dB)
Experimental
Group
16,3 8.3
18.1 7.96
18.5 9.1
20.8 9
Control Group
11.3 5.
13.3 3.6
12.4 5.
14.7 4.1
Table1. Traditional audiometer results of subjects in experimental and control group.
REFERENCES
Meric F, Dasdag S, Vergili K.1998. Do radiofrequency radiation affect the auditory system of people with occupational
exposure, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 3(1): 55-58.
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
170
P-049
EFFECTS OF 50Hz ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS (EMF) ON DENTAL PAIN
THRESHOLD, BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) AND HEART RATE (HR) IN HUMANS
S. GHIONE, C. DEL SEPPIA, L. MEZZASALMA, L. BONFIGLIO*
CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology and * Neuroscience Department University of Pisa (Italy)
Several reports indicate that exposure to EMF affects pain perception. This was observed in a variety of animal
models for various EMF ranging from hypogeomagnetic field to 60 Hz (Choleris et al. Proc R Soc Lond B 2002). In
general, hyperalgesia (i.e. reduction of pain threshold) was observed. In humans, to our knowledge, the effect of EMF
was studied only by our group who observed a reduction of pain threshold after exposure to randomly varying
sinusoidal EMF at a frequency <1 Hz (Papi et al. Bioelectromagnetics 1995; Sartucci et al. Brain Res. 1997) and to
regularly oscillating EMF at 37 Hz (Ghione et al. submitted for publication).
Here we analyse the effect on nociception in 40 healthy male volunteers (age 274 , mean SD) after 90-min
exposure of the head to 50 Hz EMF at a flux density (peak) of 40 T (n=20) and 80 T (n=20) in a double-blind
randomized sham-controlled study. Since cardiovascular regulation is functionally related to pain modulation (Ghione,
Hypertension 1996) we also measured BP and HR during treatment. Pain threshold was noninvasively measured by a
commercial tooth pulp tester and BP and HR by an automatic oscillometric device.
Data were evaluated by repeated measure ANOVA with two factors: treatment (sham/magnetic) and sequence
(before/after for pain threshold and eight 15-min time intervals for BP and HR). For 40 T (but not 80 T) a significant
effect of treatment (p=0.033) was observed for pain threshold. Post-hoc comparison revealed that pain threshold after
magnetic treatment was significantly (p<0.05) lower than after sham treatment (see Table). No significant effect of
treatment was found for BP and HR.
These results are in partial agreement with previous observation that EMF may reduce pain perception (i.e.
increase pain sensitivity) and suggest a complex dose-response effect. This seems to be indicated by the fact that a
response was observed at a lower but not at a higher EMF intensity.
Table: Tooth pain thesholds before and after 90-min exposure of the head to a 50 Hz electromagnetic field at 40
and 80 T.
Treatment Sham Magnetic
before after before after
40T 413 423
383 373
80T 372 382 382 382
MeanSEM;
p<0.05
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
171
P-050
CHANGES IN EEG CAUSED BY MODULATED MICROWAVE FIELD
HIIE HINRIKUS, JAANUS LASS, MAIE PARTS, AND VIIU TUULIK
Biomedical Engineering Centre, Tallinn Technical University,
The reports of possible nonthermal microwave field (MWF) effects are often contradictory and the mechanisms
behind the effects are still unclear. In our previous studies the method of comparison of modulated MWF and photic
stimulation effects on EEG alpha waves has been applied [1]. The interesting finding of the study was that the MWF
effects were most noticeable with the modulation frequency of 7 Hz. This frequency coincides with the result of
calculation for the fundamental mode of nondispersive brain waves [2]. The current study is aimed to repeat and
verify the results of our previous work concerning possible MWF effects on 7 Hz modulation frequency.
The experiments were carried out with a group of 15 healthy young volunteers, 8 male and 7 female. The 450
MHz MWF was 100% amplitude modulated at 7, 16 and 30 Hz frequency. The measured density at the cortex was
0,160 mW/cm
2
.
The experimental protocol consisted of one cycle of the photic (20 sec) and three cycles of the MWF (60 sec)
stimulation at 7 Hz, 16 Hz and 30 Hz modulation frequencies. The recovery time between stimulation cycles was 60
sec. The Cadwell Easy II EEG measurement equipment was used for EEG recordings. The signals from the following
EEG channels were utilized F1, F2, T3, T4, O1 and O2. The relative change between alpha or theta band energies inside
10 sec segments on the end of periods with stimulation and start of the periods without this was selected for
characterisation of the stimulation effect. The Student t-test was applied for estimation significance of the differences.
The calculated average relative changes of alpha band energy during photic and microwave stimulation and after
that for 6 EEG channels are presented on Fig. 1.
The standard deviations of the changes were
comparable with their average values. The differences
between the levels of energies inside stimulated and non
stimulated segments were significant for photic stimulation
(p=0.01) and not significant for MW stimulation. The reason
is individual sensitivity and reaction to stimulation by MWF.
The trend of change caused MWF is more remarkable in case
of 7 Hz modulation frequency. This result confirm the
findings reported in our previous work. The photic
stimulation causes major changes in occipital but MWF in
temporaparietal regions. The effect was not significant
statistically.
This research has been supported by Estonian Science Foundation Grant No 5143.
REFERENCES
[1] J. Lass, V. Tuulik, H. Hinrikus. Med. Biol. Eng. Comp. 37, 105s-108s, 1999.
[2] P. Nunez, Neocortical dynamics and human EEG Rhythms, Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
1 2 3 4
1 - photic stim; 2 - MW 7 Hz;
3 - MW 16 Hz; 4 - MW 30 Hz
%
FP1, FP2
T3, T4
O1, O2
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
172
P-051
HELIX ASPERSA SINGLE UNIT NEURON SHOWS A FREQUENCY WINDOWS UNDER
APPLIED MAGNETIC FIELD OF VARIABLE FREQUENCY
A. DEL MORAL
A
, R. N. PREZ BRUZN
B, C
, MARA J. AZANZA
C*
a
Laboratorio de Magnetismo, DFMC-ICMA, Universidad de Zaragoza & CSIC, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
b
Centro Nacional de Electromagnetismo Aplicado, Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
c
Laboratorio de Magnetobiologa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
Molluscan neurones show a high sensitivity to extremely low frequency applied magnetic fields (ELF-MF) of 50 Hz, 1-
15 mT intensity [1]. We report the responses of neurones under exposure to ELF-MF of low intensity (B
0
= 1 mT) and
frequencies between 0.1 and 80 Hz. We have observed a frequency window effect. The HMHW of the window amounts
between 2-8 Hz. An explanation of this phenomenon is proposed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The experiments were performed on single unit neurones from Helix aspersa brain ganglia maintained in vitro in Ringer
solution. Intracellular recordings were made in real time using glass micro-electrodes filled with 1 M potassium acetate
(pH 6.8) (tip resistance 2-20 M). The brain ganglia were placed in the centre of a pair of Helmholtz coils. Sinusoidal
ELF-MF of amplitude B
0
= 1mT and frequency, f
M
, from 0.1 to 80 Hz were applied. No temperature variation in the
Ringer solution was observed. We have made 14 experiments on randomly selected neurones (V3, V4, V7, V9, V14,
D1, D4, F1, F16 and F26). The applied frequencies were increased progressively, each one being maintained an average
time of 1 min.
RESULTS
Central to this work is that as the frequency f
M
approaches to the spontaneous activity of the neurone, f
0
, a frequency
increase has been observed (in 9 out of the 14 experiments). In Fig.1 (neuron D4) recordings a) and b) show the
spontaneous activity (f
0
= 4.2 spikes/s), on c) under applied f
M
of 4 Hz the spikes amplitude increases ( 30 %) and the
spikes frequency increases to 5.6 spikes/s, on f) it is shown that under applied f
M
of 5 Hz the spikes amplitude return to
the initial value and spikes frequency decreases to 4.6 spikes/s. As the frequency f
M
overcomes f
0
, the firing neurone
frequency, f, strongly decreases. Neurone responses indicate a frequency window (f.w.) effect. In fig.2 (neuron V7)
it has been plotted 1/f versus (f
M
f
0
)
2
, the average f
0
0.7 spikes/s. The good linearity observed suggests a phase
synchronization effect, likely due to a statistical distribution of firing frequencies for the Ca
2+
-operated-K
+
-protein
channels. From the line slope and origin intercept we determine f = 2.6 Hz.
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
0.078 5.19 10.75 57.46 127.2 203.9 298.6 589.5 6285
y = 1.0499 + 0.15091x R= 0.94045
(f
M
-f
0
)
2
Hz
2
Fig 1. Fig 2.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Single neurons show intrinsic properties which determine its firing frequency with a value defined as characteristic
spontaneous firing (c.s.f.), f
0
. A similar effect was early observed by Bawin et al. [2] in in vitro chicken brain around a
central frequency of 16 Hz, with windows of HMHW 8 and 20 Hz, so called frequency window for the response of
brain to weak ELF-MF. Our observation also indicates an f.w. phenomenon, but within a single unit neurone. In a brain
f.w. is likely a consequence of phase synchronization between neurons activity and MF, the f.w. width being
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
173
determined by the statistical distribution of brain neurons firing frequencies. We suggest, that a statistical distribution of
firing frequencies seems also to exist for a single neurone. Looking for a Lorentzian distribution of firing frequencies, f
= A/[(f
M
-f
0
)
2
+ f)
2
], where f is HMHW. As we have shown before the membrane forms phospholipids (PP) and
protein clusters which act cooperatively. Under the AC torque exerted by the MF, Ca
2+
ions, free liberated in the
cytosol, activates the sorting of K
+
ions through Ca
2+
-operated-K
+
-channels hyperpolarizing the membrane potential [3].
Our explanation of the observed resonance is that when f
M
coincides with some protein cluster f
0
, Ca
2+
-operated-K
+
-
channels are in phase with the AC field, the effect being reinforced. The HMHW, f, therefore would measure the
statistical distribution of f
0
within the different populations of protein channels. The highest population marks the c.s.f.
The f decrease is likely due to the decreasing size of protein channel population with increasing f
0
. Therefore what the
AC-MF does is to explore (sampling) the protein channel populations. The average size of protein clusters was
indirectly determined by studying the B
rms
variation of f, which follows a model dependence, with model parameter
proportional to N
c
and to [3]. Further experiments and theoretical work is in progress.
We acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology for Projects and grants PROFIT PROJECT: FIT-
07000-2001-346, FIT-2002-070000-2002-623.
REFERENCES
[1] M.J Azanza, A. del Moral. ELF-magnetic field induced effects on the bioelectric activity of single neurone cells. J.
Magn. Magn. Mater. 177-181 (1998) 1451-1452
[2] S.M.Bawin, A. Sheppard, W.R. Adey. Possible mechanism of weak electromagnetic field coupling in brain tissue.
Bioelectrochem. Bioenergetics 5 (1978) 67-76
[3] M.J Azanza, A. del Moral. Cell membrane biochemistry and neurobiological approach to biomagnetism. Prog.
Neurobiol. 44 (1994) 517-601
6
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International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
174
P-052
STUDY OF MECHANISMS OF HIGH FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
BACTERIAL EFFECTS
BAGRAMYAN K., HAKOBYAN M., POLADYAN A., TRCHOUNIAN A.
Department of Biophysics Yerevan State University, 375049 Yerevan, Armenia
A lot of information is available on biological effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) of extremely high
frequency, however little is available with bacterial effects. Bactericide effects (for fermenting Escherichia coli) of
sound EMF (53.4 68.0 GHz) of high frequency with high flux capacity (generator Artsakh-2NG constructed in the
Institute of Radiophysics, Ashtarak, Armenia) have been shown recently [1]. Inhibition of bacterial growth was
dependent on growth phase and irradiation time. EMF effects might be direct on membrane proteins and lipids or
indirect through their environment. We have carried out detailed comparison analysis to understand how this effect
correlated with external conditions (anaerobic and aerobic conditions, alkaline and acidic pH) and bacterial metabolism
type (fermentation of sugars, nitrate and oxygen respiration). Analysis of the effects of EMF on whole cells and
sphaeroplsts, employing different exposition, direct and indirect irradiation, single and repeated irradiation as well as
the effects of EMF on membrane surface and ion-transporting properties, the effects of EMF on generation of proton-
motive force, the effects of EMF on activity of ATPase and the other membrane-associated enzymes has been done. It
could be generalized that EMF energy is preferentially absorbed in the anaerobically grown performing fermentation.
E. Coli demonstrated the lowest viability of the cells grown on solid or liquid media. There are maximal changes in the
properties of the membrane surface reflected on the modifications in the nature of ion exchange, ATPase activity after
repeated irradiation of bacterial suspension. Although EMF determined lower effects on a survival of respiring cells, its
membranous action was reflected on the value of the proton motive force, which is decreased dramatically (up to -80
mV) after repeated direct irradiation of bacteria. These results may be in the basis for the further investigations for the
development of the next generators of millimeter waves and for the construction of the treatment strategy.
The present study is expected may provide with applications in medicine in recovery of bacterial diseases of skin
and even more deep injuries. Besides, bacteria as a models are the best in a policy for protection from EMF.
1. Trchounian A., Ogandjanyan Y., Sargsyan E., Gonyan S., Hovhanissyan A., Hovhanissyan S. (2001) Membranous
effects of extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields on Escherichia coli, Biofizika, 46:69-76 (Russian)
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
175
P-053
EXPOSURE TO 50 Hz MAGNETIC FIELD DOES NOT AFFECT ISOPROTERENOL
INDUCED PINEAL MELATONIN SYNTHESIS IN PERIFUSION SYSTEM AT 100 AND
500 T FLUX DENSITIES IN VITRO
JZSEF BAKOS, GYRGYI KUBINYI, HANNA SINAY, GYRGY THURCZY
Department of Non-ionizing Radiations, National "Frdric Joliot-Curie" Research Institute for
Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Budapest, Hungary.
In this study the effect of exposure to 50 Hz magnetic field on melatonin synthesis of rat pineal glands was
investigated in vitro.
The melatonin synthesis of Wistar rats pineal glands was measured in an in vitro perifusion system adopted
from a pharmacological application. The pineal glands of five rats were removed immediately after decapitation. The
pineal glands were cut into four pieces and placed into a chromatography column filled with sephadex G-25 resin.
Sigma medium 199 was perifused over the column by an peristaltic pump with 6 ml/hour flow rate. The perifusate
fractions (3 ml) was collected in every 30 minutes by an fraction collector. The column and the medium container were
kept at 370.1 C by a circulating water bath. The medium was saturated by air containing 5 % CO
2
, this was achieved
by the continuous bubble of the gas mixture through the medium. After 18 hours of adaptation melatonin synthesis of
pineal glands was firstly induced at 7:40 AM by adding 10
-5
or 10
-6
M isoproterenol (ISO) into the flowing through
medium during 20 minutes. The induction was repeated six times in every 12 hour. The melatonin concentration of the
perifusate was determined by direct RIA. The 50 Hz magnetic field was produced by a pair of copper wire Helmholtz
coils with 12,5 cm diameter. The coils were placed into horizontal planes and the chromatography column was situated
in the vertical axle going through the midsts of circular coils.
The applied magnetic flux densities were identical with the exposure limits of ICNIRP for general public and for
workers 100 and 500 T, respectively. The duration of exposure was varied from two hours/day to 24 hours. The
exposure was continuous in case of 24 hours and either continuous or intermittent(15 min. on, 15 min off) in case of 2
hours/day.
If the melatonin synthesis was induced by 10
-5
ISO no effect of exposure to magnetic field was observed at any
type of exposure.
When the melatonin synthesis was induced by 10
-6
ISO the last peaks were flattened and new extra peaks were
observed on the melatonin synthesis versus time curve.
The pineal glands can alive and produce melatonin at least five days in this perifusion system, so this method is
suitable for performing long term(upto five days) study of the effects of physical modalities on pineal melatonin
synthesis in vitro.
It seems that 50 Hz magnetic field can change melatonin synthesis of rat pineal gland only at lower stimulation
concentration of ISO in vitro.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
176
P-054
GSM MICROWAVES AND 50 HZ EMF INDUCE STRESS RESPONSE IN
LYMPHOCYTES FROM HYPERSENSITIVE AND HEALTHY PERSONS.
IGOR BELYAEV
1,2
, LENA HILLERT
3,4
, MARINA PROTOPOPOVA
5
, LARS MALMGREN
6
,
BERTIL PERSSON
6
, GALINA SELIVANOVA
5
, MATS HARMS-RINGDAHL
1
1
Department of Genetic and Cellular Toxicology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden;
2
Department of Biophysics, Radiation Physics and Ecology, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Russia;
3
Occupational and Environmental Health, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden;
4
Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Occupational Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;
5
Cancer Centrum Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
6
Department of Radiation Physics, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
INTRODUCTION:
There are several symptoms that persons who report hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EMF) experience in the
proximity to sources of EMF. No causal relationship between EMF and symptoms has yet been proven, but sensitivity
to specific frequencies has been suggested.
OBJECTIVE:
Here, we used specific conditions of exposure to microwaves from a GSM (global system for mobile communication)
mobile phone and ELF EMF to investigate the response of lymphocytes from healthy subjects and from persons
reporting hypersensitivity to EMF.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Fresh blood samples from two groups of donors, 7 persons reporting hypersensitivity and 7 healthy controls, matched
by gender and age, were coded and the data were analyzed in blind with the t-test. The changes in chromatin
conformation were measured with the method of anomalous viscosity time dependencies (AVTD). 53BP1 protein,
which has been shown to co-localize in foci with DNA double strand breaks (DSB), was analyzed by immunostaining
in situ. Sinusoidal magnetic field (50 Hz, 15 T amplitude) was applied using Helmholtz coils. Installation employing
GSM signal, 915 MHz, all modulations included, 33 dB, SAR=0.4 mW/g in the TEM-cell was used. All exposures were
2 h.
RESULTS:
Exposure either to GSM microwaves or EMF/50 Hz resulted in significant condensation of chromatin, which was
similar to the effect of heat shock at 41
0
C. These effects varied between donors with a trend for prolonged condensation
of chromatin in the cells from hypersensitive subjects. Cells from three subjects, who were classified as pronounced
hypersensitive responded to GSM /ELF stronger than cells from matched control subjects, but these differences in
responses need to be confirmed in a larger study group. Neither GSM nor ELF exposure induced formation of 53BP1
foci. In contrary, distinct decrease in background level of 53BP1 signaling was observed upon these exposures as well
as after heat shock. This decrease correlated with the AVTD data and may indicate decrease in accessibility of 53BP1 to
antibodies because of stress-induced chromatin condensation.
CONCLUSIONS:
ELF magnetic fields and GSM microwaves under specified conditions of exposure induced stress response in
lymphocytes from healthy donors and donors who report hypersensitivity to EMF.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and the Swedish Radiation
Protection Institute supported these studies.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
177
P-055
EFFECTS OF HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES ON TOPSOIL MICROBES
TAMARA GALONJA-COGHILL AND ROGER COGHILL
Coghill Research Laboratories, Pontypool NP4 5UH, GWENT, UK
OBJECTIVES:
Soil microorganisms are essential for many important processes in maintaining organic life, e.g. for recycling biogenic
elements in the biosphere. Bacteria are also responsible for transforming the Earths surface from the mineral inorganic
matter of volcanic rock into fertile terrain. By degrading the cells of dead plant, animal or other microorganismic
material and excretory products into mineral substances, they make them useable by plants. Moreover, capturing
nitrogen from the air (such as some bacteria and Cyanobacteria) microorganisms prevent the nitrogen starvation of
other organisms, so are oftenly used in biotechnology for the purpose of biofertilisation. Some bacteria and all
Cyanobacteria (which can be considered as algal organisms) have photosynthetic ability. Fungi (partly or completely)
convert organic matter into mineral substances. The earths topsoil is also full of different protozoic organisms,
generally heterotrophic. During the last fifty years for the first time in evolution pastures may be continually exposed to
EMFs from overlying HV lines. The aim of this investigation was to find if soil microorganisms are affected by such
fields.
METHOD AND MATERIALS:
Three strengths of high voltage line were chosen (400 kV, 275 kV and 132 kV), which are the most typical UK
transmission lines. Line characteristics were obtained by 48 hour periodic measurements sampled every 30 seconds for
the orthogonal components of the magnetic field and the vertical component of the ELF electric field. The same
experimental procedure was carried out with respect to all of these lines. Five soil samples were taken from under the
line and four control samples distant from the line in the same pasture, such that the EM field levels were not influenced
by the lines. Organisms from four characteristic microorganism groups (bacterial, algal, fungal and protozoic) were
isolated and analysed for amount, physiological activity and morphology. Then they were replaced in the sampling sites
and reanalysed for these three properties 5 and 10 days later. Bacterial isolates were cultured on agar medium and
analysed for changes in amount, physiological activity level (by measuring activities of their acid, alkaline and neutral
phosphatase enzymes) and for morphology (microscopically). The other organisms isolates (cultures) were analysed
for their amounts (algae by determining chlorophyll-a content, which reflects their biomass, fungi on the fungal medium
and protozoa microscopically) and morphological changes (by phase contrast microscopy).
RESULTS:
In microbia the TCA cycle provides energy and also the carbon skeletons of many cell components. Results suggest that
EM fields may be altering some constituents of the catabolic route taken by microbial organisms as a result of EMF
exposure.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
C
h
lo
ro
p
h
y
ll a
(u
g
/m
l)
initial state 400 kV
(under)
400 kV
(distant)
275 kV
(under)
275 kV
(distant)
132 kV
(under)
132 kV
(distant)
samples
Algal biomass changes expressed through
chl a contents
Initial state
after 5 days
after 10 days
Bacterial number and PAI correlation - under the 275 and 400 kV lines
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
IS 5 days 10 days
Exposure time
B
a
c
te
ria
l N
o
s
(1
0
6)
0
5
10
15
20
25
P
A
I (u
m
o
l p
N
p
/s
/d
m
3)
400 kV No
275 kV No
400 kV PAI
275 kV PAI
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
178
P-056
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS IN ARTICULAR CARTILAGE: FIELD INTENSITY AND
EXPOSURE LENGTH DEPENDENT EFFECTS.
MONICA DE MATTEI
1
, AGNESE PELLATI
1
,
MICHELA PASELLO
1
, ALESSIA ONGARO
1
,
LEO MASSARI
2
,
GIORDANO STABELLINI
3
, AND ANGELO CARUSO
1
.
1
Department of Morphology and Embriology, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
2
Department of Biomedical Science and Advanced Therapy, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
3
Dip. di Anatomia Umana-LITA di Segrate, Univ. Statale di Milano, Italy.
MICHELA PASELLO
1
, AGNESE PELLATI
1
, ALESSIA ONGARO
1
,
GIAN CARLO TRAINA
2
,
AND ANGELO CARUSO
1
.
1
Department of Morphology and Embryology, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
2
Department of Biomedical Science and Advanced Therapy, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
) were revealed using an FITC-labelled antibody. Fluorescence analysis used the Aphelion
image software.
RESULTS:
In fibroblasts, UVB increased expression of Hsp27 only with a maximum at 4 hours after exposure. No effect of GSM-
900 exposure was observed on Hsp27 and Hsp70 expression in both cell types. However, a significant decrease in the
expression of HSC70 was detected after exposure to the GSM signal. In keratinocytes, the response to UVB was
different, with a maximum increased expression in all HSPs tested a 8 hours after exposure. None of the proteins tested
were affected after exposure to GSM-900.
CONCLUSIONS:
Under well-characterized exposure conditions we showed that GSM-900 did not increase in human skin fibroblasts the
expression on two members of the HSP family, among which the main form present in the skin. However, the
significance of the decrease in HSC70 detection remains unclear and needs to be further investigated. Hence, the
response of human cells to GSM-900 signal seems to be highly dependent of the cell type.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
This work is supported by France Telecom R&D, the Aquitaine Council for Research and the CNRS.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
187
P-065
EFFECTS OF GSM-1800 RFR ON ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE (ODC) ACTIVITY
IN L929 MOUSE FIBROBLASTS.
TAXILE M., BILLAUDEL B., HARO, E., LAGROYE I. AND VEYRET B.
Laboratory P.I.O.M., E.N.S.C.P.B., University of Bordeaux 1,
33607 Pessac, France.
INTRODUCTION:
Ornithine DeCarboxylase (ODC) plays a pivotal role in the synthesis of polyamines. Recent reports have shown that
ODC overexpression may be involved, not only in cell neoplastic transformation but also in cancer cell invasiveness.
The Litovitz group reported a temporary increase in ODC activity in L929 fibroblasts after exposure to RFR emitted by
North American mobile phones (1). We are currently involved in a replication study (PERFORM-B) of these results
and are extending this study to GSM-1800 signals.
METHODS:
Cells culture: Cells cultured in Eagles minimum essential medium (DMEM) were plated at a density of 8x10
5
cells/Petri dish in 3.2 ml of EMEM and incubated for 20 h before exposure.
Exposure procedure: Six Petri dishes were exposed blindly in sXc waveguides (ITIS, Zurich, Switzerland) for 2, 8 or
24 hours to Basic GSM-1800 signal (SAR = 2.5 W/kg) and six dishes were sham exposed. Immediately after exposure,
cells were suspended in cold PBS medium using a cell scraper and centrifuged twice at 500 g. The cell pellet from three
Petri dishes was stored at 70C until assay in duplicate for ODC activity.
ODC activity measurement: Cell pellets were lysed and centrifuged. Aliquots of supernatant (100 l) were incubated for
1 h at 37C with 2.22x10
5
dpm
14
C-labeled L-ornithine.
14
CO
2
generated by ODC was absorbed with hyamine hydroxide
in a center well secured in a rubber septum-type stopper. The reaction was terminated by injection of trichloroacetic
acid through the rubber septum and incubation continued for 1 h. Radioactivity of
14
CO
2
trapped in hyamine hydroxide
was counted by liquid scintillation (Packard Tricarb). The amount of protein of cell lysate was determined by the
Bradford method. Total ODC activity was calculated as pmol(
14
CO
2
)
/h/mg protein. Positive controls were obtained
using TPA (10 M) as the activating agent.
RESULTS:
These experiments are currently in progress using the sXc ITIS GSM-waveguide with suitable temperature control.
CONCLUSION:
Results will allow a comparison of the potential effects on ODC activity of RF emitted by North American mobile
phones versus GSM-1800 mobile phones.
REFERENCES :
(1) Penafiel et al., 1997, Bioelectromagnetics, 18, 132-141
This work was supported by MMF and GSM-A, the Aquitaine Council for Research and the CNRS.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
188
P-066
MORPHOMETRIC ESTIMATION OF HUMAN PLACENTAL
SYNCYTIOTHROPHOBLAST NUCLEI IN LOW MAGNETIC INDUCTION OF
VARIABLE MAGNETIC FIELDS FOLLOWING PERFUSION IN VITRO
MACIEJ OPUCKI
1
, BARBARA JDRYCH
2
, WANDA ROGOWSKA
1
, STANISAW PIETRUSZEWSKI
3
,
KRZYSZTOF KORNARZYSKI
3
, MIROSAW ACUT
2
, KRYSTYNA CZERNY
2
, JAN KOTARSKI
1
1
1st Department of Gynaecology, University Medical School, 20-081 Lublin, Staszica 16, Poland
2
Department of Histology and Embriology, University Medical School, 20-080 Lublin, Radziwiowska 11, Poland
3
Department of Physics, Agricultural University, Faculty of Agricultural Technology,
20-033 Lublin, Akademicka 13, Poland
INTRODUCTION.
There are no data in the available literature concerning the influence of variable magnetic field (MF) of low magnetic
induction on human placenta in vitro. One of the morphological elements of the placenta is syncytiothrophoblast.
Changes in the surface, consistency and shape of the syncytiothrophoblasts cell nuclei may be a symptom of placental
malfunction.
THE AIM
of this work was to evaluate the influence of variable homogeneous magnetic field of low magnetic induction (0.5 mT,
2 mT and 5 mT) and frequency of 50 Hz on the area of syncytiothrophoblast nuclei of human placental villi following
dual closed perfusion in vitro after 180 min.
MATERIALS AND METHODS.
The material consisted of human placentas obtained from physiological pregnancies and spontaneous deliveries
between 38 and 41 weeks of pregnancy. Perfusion of human placental cotyledon in vitro was performed according to
the model introduced by Schneider et al., subsequently modified by Miller et al. The control group C (10 perfusions)
was not subjected to any influence of MF; in the experimental groups E
1
(10 perdusions), E
2
(10 perfusions), and E
3
(10
perfusions) we used variable homogeneous magnetic field of the following induction: 0.5 mT (50 Hz), 2 mT (50 Hz),
and 5 mT (50 Hz), respectively. After the perfusion we obtained biopsy specimens of the cotyledon. Paraffin sections
were coloured with hematoxylin and eosin (H+E). Estimations of syncytiothrophoblast nucleus area were evaluated
microscopically with the use of Super-SVIST computer software (Wilkom, Poland). 50 nuclei of the
syncytiothrophoblast were evaluated for each specimen. Mean values X of syncytiothrophoblast nucleus were
calculated, as well as standard deviation SD. In the course of comparison we used variance analysis in single
classification ANOVA I (the value of the Fischer-Snedecor test function, significant for p < 0.05).
RESULTS.
Mean area of syncytiothrophoblast nucleus surface ( X SD) was 200.634.2 m
2
in the control group C and,
respectively, 221.244.7 m
2
in group B
1
, 192.340.5 m
2
in group B
2
and 77.122.6 m
2
in group B
3
.We found a
significant increase in the area of syncytiothrophoblast nucleus in group B
1
(p<0.05) and a decrease in groups B
2
(p<0.05) and B
3
(p<0.05), in relation to group C.
CONCLUSION.
Variable homogeneous MF of magnetic induction 0.5 mT (50 Hz), 2 mT (50 Hz), and 5 mT (50 Hz) has an effect on the
area of syncytiothrophoblast nucleus surface of human placenta perfused in vitro after 180 min.
Research supported by a grant from KBN 6 P05E 044 20
Address: Maciej opucki MD., PhD.: I Katedra i Klinika Ginekologii AM Lublin,
20-081 Lublin, ul.Staszica 16, Poland
e-mail: mLopucki@wp.pl
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
189
P-067
EXPOSURE TO ELF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS TURNED TO ZN INHIBITS
GROWTH OF CANCER CELLS
EVA MARKOVA
1, 2
, RUSLAN SARIMOV
1, 3
, FREDRIK JOHANSSON
1
DAG JENSSEN
1
, GALINA SELIVANOVA
4
, IGOR BELYAEV
1,3
1
Department of Genetic and Cellular Toxicology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden;
2
Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Bratislava, Slovak Republic;
3
Department of Biophysics, Radiation Physics and Ecology, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Russia;
4
Cancer Centrum Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
INTRODUCTION:
Non-thermal effects of ELF on cell proliferation have been described and both inhibition and stimulation has been
observed dependent on cell type and exposure conditions. According to current models, ELF magnetic field affects cells
through influence on specific ions if parameters of exposure (frequency, AC and DC magnetic intensities) are tuned to
these ions. One approach for the suppression of cancer cells growth is to restore the conformation of mutant p53. Recent
data have indicated that small molecules such as PRIMA-1 could restore the tumor suppression function of mutant p53.
Since the presence of Zn ion in the DNA binding domain of p53 is important for its functional activity, we investigated
whether modulation of Zn by ELF can reactivate the growth suppression function of mutant p53.
OBJECTIVE:
Here, the effects of ELF tuned to Zn were investigated on growth of cancer cells with different status of p53.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Cancer cells HeLa (cervix cancer, p53+/+), Saos-2 and Saos-2-His-273 (osteosarcoma, p53-/- and p53 His-273 mutant,
respectively), H1299tTA and H1299tTA-His175 (lung carcinoma, p53-/- and p53 His-175 mutant) and normal human
fibroblasts VH-10 were used. Cells were seeded at 5, 10 and 20E+4 cells/well in 96-well plates and cell growth was
assessed with the neutral red proliferation assay. Conditions of exposure were calculated for the fist harmonic of Zn as
based either on the magnetic parametric resonance model (MPR) of Lednev or the ion parametric resonance model
(IPR) of Blanchard and Blackman. Exposure was for 72-96 h. Vertical DC field was 43 T, collinear AC field was 20
Hz at the amplitudes of 38.7 T or 77.4 T (IPR or MPR), and horizontal DC field was zeroed. Treatment of cells with
PRIMA-1 and -rays was used as a control. The data were analyzed with the paired t-test.
RESULTS:
Growth inhibition of cells exposed to ELF according to the IPR model was observed in all cell types. Inhibition of HeLa
cells was statistically significant, p=0.05. PRIMA-1, 20 or 50 M, inhibited growth of all cell lines with stronger effect
in mutant p53-carrying cell lines. The effects of -rays, 1-10 Gy, were relatively weak as compared to PRIMA-1.
CONCLUSIONS:
The data suggest that ELF under conditions of exposure tuned to Zn according to the IPR model inhibited the growth of
cancer cells. At this point, no clear relationship of the observed growth inhibition to p53 status has been found. Further
experiments using complementary techniques are required in order to test whether mutant p53 reactivation by ELF is
feasible.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute supported
these studies.
6
th
International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association
1315 November 2003 Budapest, Hungary
190
P-068
EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO 1950 MHZ RADIO-FREQUENCY FIELDS ON
EXPRESSION OF HSP 27 AND HSP70 IN HUMAN GLIOMA MO54 CELLS
JUNJI MIYAKOSHI
A
, GUI-RONG DING
A,B
, HIDEKI HIROSE
C
, SHIN KOYAMA
D
a
Department of Radiological Technology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1
Hon-cho, Hirosaki, 036-8564, Japan;
b
Department of Radiation Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China;
c
Graduate School of Science and
d
Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies
, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
In recent years, with the rapid introduction of mobile telecommunication devices, the possible health effects, in
particular brain tumour, due to exposure to radio-frequency (RF) fields from mobile phones have become a public
concern. Since heat shock response is a universal fundamental mechanism necessary for cell survival under a variety of
unfavorable conditions, we examined the expression level of heat shock proteins (Hsp27 and Hsp70) as well as cell
proliferation in Human glioma MO54 cells after RF fields exposure.
MO54 cells were cultured in Dulbeccos modified Eagle