Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

The response of the human circulatory system to an acute 200-muT, 60-Hz magnetic field exposure med./bio.

Published in: Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2011; 84 (3): 267-277

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study the effects of one hour of exposure to a 200 µT, 60 Hz magnetic field on the human blood circulation.

Background/further details

10 subjects participated in this study consisting of two testing sessions (real exposure and sham exposure) administered on separate days. Each session included four consecutive blocks of measurements (before exposure, during exposure at 15 min and 45 min of exposure, 15 min after the end of exposure).

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: continuous for 1 h except for 2 x 3 min. measurement time

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration continuous for 1 h except for 2 x 3 min. measurement time
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Setup coils with a diamter of 1.6 m, separated by 1.2 m; each coil consisted of 80 turns of AWG10 wire and a water-tubing system connected to a temperature-controlled water pump; volunteer seated in a padded chair in the middle of the coil system wearing ear plugs
Sham exposure A sham exposure was conducted.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 200 µT effective value measured - field homogenous at head level

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

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

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The data did not suggest an effect of a 60 Hz, 200 µT extremely low frequency magnetic field exposure on the human circulatory system.
The findings of the present study support the authors' hypothesis of a previous study (McNamee et al. 2010), that the water cooling system used to cool the 1,800 µT coils in their previous study caused an increase in room temperature, which would have affected skin temperature results.

Study character:

Study funded by

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