Biological Effects of Magnetic Storms and ELF Magnetic Fields

2023 · Mixed · Insufficient evidence

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MixedInsufficient evidencePaper 331

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2023

Study typereview

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Biological Effects of Magnetic Storms and ELF Magnetic Fields Sarimov RM, Serov DA, Gudkov SV. Biological Effects of Magnetic Storms and ELF Magnetic Fields. Biology. 2023; 12(12):1506. doi: 10.3390/biology12121506 Simple Summary The study of the biological effects of time-varying magnetic fields has attracted more and more attention from researchers, and the number of publications on this topic is growing every year. In this article, we plan to briefly introduce the reader to the results of research, ideas, and discussions on the biological effects of time-varying magnetic fields. This article is illustrated with a large number of generalizing figures and contains a lot of factual data. This review presents the main biological effects observed during magnetic storms and in laboratory studies. The general concepts of studying the influence of magnetic storms on humans are described. Possible approaches to modeling magnetobiological effects at different levels of the organization of living things are presented. The results of the impact of anthropogenic fields on humans (epidemiological studies) are presented. The mechanisms of action of time-varying magnetic fields on living objects are discussed. Dependences of quantitative characteristics of the biological action of time-varying magnetic fields on their frequency, induction, and duration are discussed. The information presented in this manuscript may be valuable for a wide range of readers in the initial assessment of the risks associated with the influence of time-varying magnetic fields on the body. Abstract Magnetic fields are a constant and essential part of our environment. The main components of ambient magnetic fields are the constant part of the geomagnetic field, its fluctuations caused by magnetic storms, and man-made magnetic fields. These fields refer to extremely-low-frequency (<1 kHz) magnetic fields (ELF-MFs). Since the 1980s, a huge amount of data has been accumulated on the biological effects of magnetic fields, in particular ELF-MFs. However, a unified picture of the patterns of action of magnetic fields has not been formed. Even though a unified mechanism has not yet been generally accepted, several theories have been proposed. In this review, we attempted to take a new approach to analyzing the quantitative data on the effects of ELF-MFs to identify new potential areas for research. This review provides general descriptions of the main effects of magnetic storms and anthropogenic fields on living organisms (molecular–cellular level and whole organism) and a brief description of the main mechanisms of magnetic field effects on living organisms. This review may be of interest to specialists in the fields of biology, physics, medicine, and other interdisciplinary areas. Conclusions and Prospects ELF-MFs with a frequency of <1 kHz have a wide range of biological effects on living systems. These fields include fluctuations of the GMF during a magnetic storm and background TVMF generated by electrical equipment, transport, etc. Among the main effects of magnetic storms on humans, changes in the cardiovascular system are primarily noted. Anthropogenic ELF-MFs affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system and may also be associated with the risk of developing some kinds of cancer. ELF-MFs studied in the laboratory had the most diverse effects on the circulatory, nervous, immune, endocrine, and musculoskeletal systems of humans and animals, as well as on plants and insects. We attempted to search for patterns connecting the MF spectral content and the level of the biological effect. It was found that most of the effects are localized in amplitude– frequency “windows”; maxima are observed in the areas of cyclotron resonances of mono- and divalent ions, industrial MFs, and magnetic storms. The analysis approach we used can be expanded by introducing additional parameters (field direction, presence of rotation, the shape of a single signal, etc.). The results obtained may be of fundamental value and find practical application in biology, medicine, and agriculture. Open access paper: mdpi.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typereview

Effect directionmixed

PopulationHumans and other living organisms (animals, plants, insects) discussed across included studies

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

This narrative review summarizes reported biological effects of extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields (<1 kHz), including geomagnetic fluctuations during magnetic storms and man-made fields. It notes reported cardiovascular changes during magnetic storms, and states anthropogenic ELF-MFs affect cardiovascular functioning and may be associated with risk of some cancers; it also describes diverse laboratory-reported effects across multiple physiological systems and discusses proposed mechanisms and amplitude–frequency “windows”.

Outcomes measured

Cardiovascular system changes (magnetic storms; anthropogenic ELF-MFs)
Cancer risk associations (anthropogenic ELF-MFs; epidemiological studies)
Circulatory system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)
Nervous system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)
Immune system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)
Endocrine system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)
Musculoskeletal system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)
Molecular–cellular level effects (general)
Whole-organism effects (general)

Limitations

Review states that a unified picture of ELF magnetic field action patterns has not been formed
No unified mechanism is generally accepted (multiple theories proposed)
No specific study designs, effect sizes, or sample sizes are provided in the abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "review",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "magnetic storms and anthropogenic/man-made magnetic fields (electrical equipment, transport, etc.)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Humans and other living organisms (animals, plants, insects) discussed across included studies",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Cardiovascular system changes (magnetic storms; anthropogenic ELF-MFs)",
    "Cancer risk associations (anthropogenic ELF-MFs; epidemiological studies)",
    "Circulatory system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)",
    "Nervous system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)",
    "Immune system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)",
    "Endocrine system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)",
    "Musculoskeletal system effects (laboratory ELF-MFs)",
    "Molecular–cellular level effects (general)",
    "Whole-organism effects (general)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "This narrative review summarizes reported biological effects of extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields (<1 kHz), including geomagnetic fluctuations during magnetic storms and man-made fields. It notes reported cardiovascular changes during magnetic storms, and states anthropogenic ELF-MFs affect cardiovascular functioning and may be associated with risk of some cancers; it also describes diverse laboratory-reported effects across multiple physiological systems and discusses proposed mechanisms and amplitude–frequency “windows”.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Review states that a unified picture of ELF magnetic field action patterns has not been formed",
    "No unified mechanism is generally accepted (multiple theories proposed)",
    "No specific study designs, effect sizes, or sample sizes are provided in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields",
    "ELF-MFs",
    "time-varying magnetic fields",
    "magnetic storms",
    "geomagnetic field fluctuations",
    "anthropogenic fields",
    "cardiovascular system",
    "cancer risk",
    "mechanisms",
    "amplitude-frequency windows",
    "cyclotron resonance"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.3,
      "reason": "Broad review of ELF magnetic field biological effects and risk assessment context (no specific guideline body discussed in abstract)."
    },
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.25,
      "reason": "Mentions anthropogenic ELF-MFs from electrical equipment/transport; could relate to workplace-type sources, though not explicitly occupational."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.3390/biology12121506
PubMed: Not supplied

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