Results of lifespan exposure to ELF EMF administered alone to Sprague Dawley rats

2018 · No effect · Moderate evidence

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No effectModerate evidencePaper 2160

Across exposure groups (continuous 50 Hz magnetic fields at 2, 20, 100, or 1000 µT; and intermittent 1000 µT), survival and body weight were comparable to controls. The incidence and number of malignant and benign tumors were similar in all groups, and magnet…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2018

Study typeanimal

Reported directionNo effect

Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

- Results of lifespan exposure to ELF EMF administered alone to Sprague Dawley rats L. Bua, E. Tibaldi, L. Falcioni, M. Lauriola, L. De Angelis, F. Gnudi, M. Manservigi, F. Manservisi, I. Manzoli, I. Menghetti, R. Montella, S. Panzacchi, D. Sgargi, V. Strollo, A. Vornoli, D. Mandrioli, Results of lifespan exposure to continuous and intermittent extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELFEMF) administered alone to Sprague Dawley rats Environmental Research. 164:271-279. July 2018. Highlights • Carcinogenic effects of ELFEMF whole-body chronic exposure were evaluated on rats. • Exposure to ELFEMF alone does not represent risk factor for neoplastic development. • ELFEMF might act as a cancer enhancer if co-administered to other known carcinogens. Abstract Background Up to now, experimental studies on rodents have failed to provide definitive confirmation of the carcinogenicity of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELFEMF). Two recent studies performed in our laboratory on Sprague-Dawley rats reported a statistically significant increase in malignant tumors of different sites (mammary gland, C-cells carcinoma, hemolymphoreticular neoplasia, and malignant heart Schwannoma) when ELFEMF exposure was associated with exposure to formaldehyde (50 mg/l) or acute low dose of γ-radiation (0.1 Gy) (Soffritti et al., 2016a) (Soffritti et al., 2016b). The same doses of known carcinogenic agents (50 mg/l formaldehyde, or acute 0.1 Gy γ-radiation), when administered alone, previously failed to induce any statistically significant increase in the incidence of total and specific malignant tumors in rats of the same colony. Objectives A lifespan whole-body exposure study was conducted to evaluate the possible carcinogenic effects of ELFEMF exposure administered alone to Sprague-Dawley rats, as part of the integrated project of the Ramazzini Institute (RI) for studying the effects on health of ELFEMF alone or in combination with other known carcinogens. Methods Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 19 h/day to continuous sinusoidal-50 Hz magnetic fields (S-50 Hz MF) at flux densities of 0 (control group), 2, 20, 100 or 1000µT, and to intermittent (30 min on/30 min off) S-50 Hz MF at 1000 µT, from prenatal life until natural death. Results Survival and body weight trends in all groups of rats exposed to ELFEMF were comparable to those found in sex-matched controls. The incidence and number of malignant and benign tumors was similar in all groups. Magnetic field exposure did not significantly increase the incidence of neoplasias in any organ, including those sites that have been identified as possible targets in epidemiological studies (leukemia, breast cancer, and brain cancer). Conclusions Life-span exposures to continuous and intermittent sinusoidal-50 Hz ELFEMFs, when administered alone, did not represent a significant risk factor for neoplastic development in our experimental rat model. In light of our previous results on the carcinogenic effects of ELFEMF in combination with formaldehyde and γ- radiation, further experiments are necessary to elucidate the possible role of ELFEMF as cancer enhancer in presence of other chemical and physical carcinogens. sciencedirect.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 typeanimal

Effect directionno_effect

PopulationMale and female Sprague-Dawley rats

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF · 0.05 MHz · 19 h/day, from prenatal life until natural death; continuous or intermittent (30 min on/30 min off)

Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Survival
Body weight
Incidence and number of malignant tumors
Incidence and number of benign tumors
Organ-specific neoplasias (including leukemia, breast cancer, brain cancer)

Limitations

Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata
Details on randomization/blinding and pathology assessment not provided in provided abstract/metadata

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "other",
    "frequency_mhz": 0.05,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "19 h/day, from prenatal life until natural death; continuous or intermittent (30 min on/30 min off)"
  },
  "population": "Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Survival",
    "Body weight",
    "Incidence and number of malignant tumors",
    "Incidence and number of benign tumors",
    "Organ-specific neoplasias (including leukemia, breast cancer, brain cancer)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Across exposure groups (continuous 50 Hz magnetic fields at 2, 20, 100, or 1000 µT; and intermittent 1000 µT), survival and body weight were comparable to controls. The incidence and number of malignant and benign tumors were similar in all groups, and magnetic field exposure did not significantly increase neoplasias in any organ, including leukemia, breast, and brain.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata",
    "Details on randomization/blinding and pathology assessment not provided in provided abstract/metadata"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "extremely low frequency",
    "ELFEMF",
    "50 Hz",
    "magnetic field",
    "Sprague-Dawley rats",
    "lifespan exposure",
    "whole-body exposure",
    "carcinogenicity",
    "neoplasia",
    "tumors",
    "intermittent exposure",
    "Ramazzini Institute"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Study evaluates chronic ELF magnetic-field exposure levels relevant to environmental/occupational contexts, though setting is animal laboratory exposure."
    }
  ]
}

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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: Not supplied
PubMed: Not supplied

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