Mutat Res. 2005 Aug 1;585(1-2):43-9. Related Articles, Links

Chromosomal damage in human diploid fibroblasts by intermittent exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields.

Winker R, Ivancsits S, Pilger A, Adlkofer F, Rudiger HW.

Division of Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Wahringer Gurtel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, Austria.

Environmental exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) has been implicated in the development of cancer in humans. An important basis for assessing a potential cancer risk due to ELF-EMF exposure is knowledge of biological effects on human cells at the chromosomal level. Therefore, we investigated in the present study the effect of intermittent ELF electromagnetic fields (50Hz, sinusoidal, 5'field-on/10'field-off, 2-24h, 1mT) on the induction of micronuclei (MN) and chromosomal aberrations in cultured human fibroblasts. ELF-EMF radiation resulted in a time-dependent increase of micronuclei, which became significant after 10h of intermittent exposure at a flux density of 1mT. After approximately 15h a constant level of micronuclei of about three times the basal level was reached. In addition, chromosomal aberrations were increased up to 10-fold above basal levels. Our data strongly indicate a clastogenic potential of intermittent low-frequency electromagnetic fields, which may lead to considerable chromosomal damage in dividing cells.