Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Can extremely low frequency alternating magnetic fields modulate heart rate or its variability in humans? med./bio.

By: Kurokawa Y, Nitta H, Imai H, Kabuto M
Published in: Auton Neurosci 2003; 105 (1): 53-61
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Aim of study (acc. to author)

To investigate possible effects of extremely low frequenzy (ELF) magnetic field (MF) exposure on the heart rate in humans.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 50 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 min - 12 h
Exposure 2: 50 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 min - 12 h
Exposure 3: 50 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 min - 12 h

General information

Circularly polarized MF.

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 50 Hz
Type
Polarization
  • circular
Exposure duration 2 min - 12 h
Exposure setup
Exposure source
  • Square coils based on four coil square loop Merritt configuration.
Chamber Cubic wooden room/ 2.7 m sides enclosed by an outer room / 4 m sides
Setup Subjects maintained a sitting position at the center of the room.
Additional info Square coils were installed in the space between the inner and outer rooms.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 20 µT minimum - - vertical or horizontal
magnetic flux density 40 µT - - - vertical or horizontal
magnetic flux density 60 µT - - - vertical or horizontal
magnetic flux density 80 µT - - - vertical or horizontal
magnetic flux density 100 µT maximum - - vertical or horizontal
Additional parameter details

Geomagnetic field in the room was 26 µT along the horizontal axis and 31 µT along the vertical axis.

Exposure 2

Main characteristics
Frequency 50 Hz
Type
Polarization
  • circular
Exposure duration 2 min - 12 h
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 20 µT unspecified cf. remarks - vertical axis.

Exposure 3

Main characteristics
Frequency 50 Hz
Type
Waveform
Polarization
  • circular
Exposure duration 2 min - 12 h
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 20 µT unspecified cf. remarks - three components superimposed*.
Additional parameter details

* Third harmonics with 30% intensity of the base field, fifth harmonics with 10 % intensity of the base value field and 1 kHz, 100 µT (at the peak) field that occured at 1 s intervals and attenuated exponentially over a duration of 50 ms.

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Investigated organ system:
Time of investigation:
  • during exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

No statistically significant effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on heart rate and heart rate variability was found. Thus, the experiments suggest that ELF-MF do not influence the activity of the cardiovascular autonomic nervous system that modulates the heart rate in man.

Study character:

Study funded by

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