EVIDENCE FOR GENOTOXIC EFFECTS OF RESONANT ELF MAGNETIC-FIELDS

The possibility that extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields aff ect the genomic integrity of the cell is the objective of this study. Human peripheral lymphocytes (HPLs) were exposed to different exposure conditions combining ac and static magnetic fields. We used the micro nuclei (MN) cytogenetic technique, because MN formation is considered as a marker of chromosomal damage produced by genotoxic agents. The fi rst set of experiments were performed at 50 Hz, 150 mu T rms and 32 Hz , 75 mu T and 150 mu T rms magnetic fields with the static geomagnetic field components nulled. No effects were detected using the MN test o n HPL as an indicator for cellular genomic damage when the static magn etic field was nulled. Moreover, such exposure to an ac magnetic field does not appear to interfere with the action of a powerful genotoxic agent mytomicin-C (MMC), i.e. there was no synergistic effect. The sec ond set of experiments were conducted exposing cells to 32 Hz, 150 mu T and 75 mu T rms, parallel to a 42 mu T dc magnetic field. The 75 mu T rms, 32 Hz exposure condition was chosen to maximize the resonance e ffect on Ca2+ according to parametric resonance theory. We found a sta tistically significant increase of MN for both exposure conditions. Th e experiment provides evidence for the genotoxic effects of resonant E LF magnetic fields in human lymphocytes.