• experimental
  
• epidemiological
  

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Medical/biological Study (experimental study)

Intermittent extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields cause DNA damage in a dose-dependent way. med./biol.

PubMed Entry

Journal web site

Aim of study (according to author)
To study the influence of exposure time and magnetic flux densities on the induction of DNA strand breaks with human fibroblast cultures of three healthy donors.
Background/further details:
In a previous study (publication 9089) the authors demonstrated an increase in DNA single-strand breaks in human fibroblasts upon intermittent exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field. The extent of electromagnetic field-induced DNA damage was variable in relation to the setting of on and off times, and was highest at an intermittence of "5 min on/10 min off".

Endpoint

• genotoxicity/mutation: DNA damage (DNA single-strand breaks/double-strand breaks)

Exposure
General category: magnetic field, low frequency field, 50/60 Hz (AC)

Field characteristics	Parameters
50 Hz exposure duration: intermittent, 5 min on/10 min off, for 1-24 h	magnetic flux density: 1 mT max value (to 20 µT)

Exposed system:
intact cell/cell culture (in vitro)

Methods
Endpoint/Measurement parameters/Methodology

• genotoxicity/mutation: DNA damage (DNA single-strand breaks/double-strand breaks (alkaline and neutral comet assay, "comet tail factor"))

Main outcome of study (according to author)
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure induced dose-dependent and time-dependent DNA single-strand breaks and double-strand breaks. Effects occurred at a magnetic flux density as low as 35 µT, being well below proposed International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines. After termination of irradiation the induced "comet tail factors" returned to normal within 9 h.
The induced DNA damage is not based on thermal effects and arouses concern about environmental threshold limit values for extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure.

(Study character: medical/biological study, experimental study, full/main study)

Study funded by

• European Union (EU)/European Commission

• Scarfi MR et al. (2005): Evaluation of genotoxic effects in human fibroblasts after intermittent...
• Focke F et al. (2010): DNA fragmentation in human fibroblasts under extremely low frequency...

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