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4 postsA Cohort Study on Alzheimer's Disease in Relation to Residential Magnetic Fields From Indoor Transformer Stations
This cohort study evaluated Alzheimer's disease incidence in relation to residential extremely low frequency magnetic fields from indoor transformer stations, using apartment location as an exposure proxy. No significant association was observed between living next to transformer stations and Alzheimer's disease risk (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.85–1.22). Duration of residence did not materially change risk, and a younger-start subgroup showed a non-significant elevation. The authors note the results did not replicate previously reported positive associations from other residential or occupational studies.
Exposure of human lymphocytes to sweeping-frequency extremely low frequency magnetic field
This in vitro study exposed human umbilical cord blood lymphocytes to a sinusoidal sweeping-frequency ELF magnetic field (3–26 Hz) for 48 hours at amplitudes from 6 to 24 μT. It reports no statistically significant effects on DNA damage/repair foci or apoptosis measures overall. A non-significant trend at 8 μT showed lower γH2AX foci (p = .064) and data suggesting fewer viable cells at the same intensity, which the authors discuss as potentially protective against DNA double-strand breaks.
The proliferation rates of HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma cells can be accelerated or inhibited by weak static and extremely low frequency magnetic fields
This in vitro study exposed HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma cells for 4 days to weak extremely low frequency magnetic fields (10 μT, 12–33 Hz) superimposed on a 45 μT static field. The authors report frequency- and amplitude-dependent increases or decreases in cell growth, including sharp inversions near 16.5 Hz with small parameter changes or reversal of the static field direction. Associated changes in membrane potential, intracellular calcium, and mitochondrial superoxide are presented as supporting a bioenergetic mechanism.
Extremely low frequency magnetic field distracts zebrafish from a visual cognitive task
This animal study trained adult zebrafish to perform a conditioned avoidance response to a visual cue. The visual cue was presented alone or together with an extremely low frequency sinusoidally changing magnetic field (0.3 Hz) at 0.015 mT or 0.06 mT. The abstract reports that the 0.06 mT magnetic field condition impaired learning performance and response behavior, suggesting a cross-modal distraction effect.