Chronic or intractable medical problems associated with prolonged exposure to unsuspected harmful environmental electric, magnetic or electro-magnetic fields radiating in the bedroom or workplace and their exacerbation by intake of harmful light and heavy metals from common sources.

Acupuncture & electro-therapeutics research · 1991 · Harm · Very low evidence

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HarmVery low evidencePaper 5484

Study snapshot

PublicationAcupuncture & electro-therapeutics research · 1991

Study typecase_report

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingVery low

Abstract

Unsuspected prolonged exposure to abnormal environmental (very high frequency) electro-magnetic fields (EMF), electric fields (EF) or magnetic fields (MF) at 60 Hz or 16K Hz in the bedroom or workplace may contribute to the development of various intractable medical problems. Most of the clinical symptoms appear when the individuals are exposed to EMF for many hours a day for at least several months to 1-year for relatively benign diseases or symptoms (such as intractable pain or medical problems), or several to over 10 years for more serious diseases (such as cancers of the digestive system or other organs), all of which seem to appear with the additional co-existence of micro-circulatory disturbances with Thromboxane B2 (TXB2), bacterial or viral infections and decrease or absence of acetylcholine, and lead, mercury, or aluminum deposits, with or without asbestos. These abnormal environmental EMF's or EF's can be detected by the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test, which has good correlation with standard laboratory measurement, especially with EF measurement, and the distribution of EMF often includes a linear band-like appearance on the abnormal part of the patient's body, as well as on the patient's corresponding area of the bed, or at the workplace. These EMF's can be eliminated either by a metal sheet, acting as a reflector, which redirects the harmful EMF or eliminates it completely by grounding the metal sheet at high frequency range, while extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields at the near field are more difficult to eliminate. Several examples of medical problems that appear to be associated with repeated and prolonged exposure to abnormal environmental EMF, EF or MF are summarized in this article. EF or MF-induced abnormalities were artificially and reversibly created in humans by exposing the extremities or head to a 10Volt/Meter (V/M) EF at 60 Hz about 33 (evening) to 50 cm (daytime or after midnight) from a pair of rubber insulated wires connected to an AC source, but where no current is passed, so that no extra MF exists. After exposing normal parts of the extremities and head to a 10 V/M EF for 5 minutes, abnormal increase of TXB2 and disappearance or significant reduction of acetylcholine was observed for 5 minutes, and slightly longer abnormal time duration was observed in those who have aluminum, lead, or mercury deposits. This indicates that the upper limit of relatively safe EF should be around 10V/M at 60 Hz rather than 25V/M at ELF by Swedish Government recommendation, which is now widely accepted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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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 typecase_report

Effect directionharm

PopulationHumans (patients with intractable medical problems; also experiments described in humans)

Sample sizeNot supplied

Exposuremixed · many hours/day for months to years (examples: several months to 1 year; several to >10 years)

Evidence strengthVery lowConfidence: 66% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

The article summarizes examples of medical problems described as associated with repeated/prolonged exposure to abnormal environmental EMF/EF/MF in bedrooms or workplaces. It also reports that exposing extremities or head to a 10 V/m electric field at 60 Hz for 5 minutes was followed by an abnormal increase of TXB2 and disappearance or significant reduction of acetylcholine for about 5 minutes, with slightly longer duration in those described as having aluminum/lead/mercury deposits.

Outcomes measured

Intractable medical problems/symptoms (e.g., intractable pain)
Cancers of the digestive system or other organs (mentioned as examples)
Micro-circulatory disturbances
Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) changes
Acetylcholine decrease/absence
Association with bacterial or viral infections (mentioned)
Association with deposits of lead, mercury, aluminum (mentioned)

Limitations

Case report/series-style summary; number of cases not stated in abstract
Exposure assessment relies on the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test (correlation with standard measurement is asserted but details not provided in abstract)
Multiple co-exposures and co-factors are discussed (infections, metals, asbestos), limiting attribution to EMF/EF/MF
No quantitative long-term exposure levels provided for the environmental bedroom/workplace exposures in the abstract
Causal language is tentative ("may contribute", "appear to be associated")

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "case_report",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "mixed",
    "source": "bedroom or workplace environmental fields",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "many hours/day for months to years (examples: several months to 1 year; several to >10 years)"
  },
  "population": "Humans (patients with intractable medical problems; also experiments described in humans)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Intractable medical problems/symptoms (e.g., intractable pain)",
    "Cancers of the digestive system or other organs (mentioned as examples)",
    "Micro-circulatory disturbances",
    "Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) changes",
    "Acetylcholine decrease/absence",
    "Association with bacterial or viral infections (mentioned)",
    "Association with deposits of lead, mercury, aluminum (mentioned)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The article summarizes examples of medical problems described as associated with repeated/prolonged exposure to abnormal environmental EMF/EF/MF in bedrooms or workplaces. It also reports that exposing extremities or head to a 10 V/m electric field at 60 Hz for 5 minutes was followed by an abnormal increase of TXB2 and disappearance or significant reduction of acetylcholine for about 5 minutes, with slightly longer duration in those described as having aluminum/lead/mercury deposits.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Case report/series-style summary; number of cases not stated in abstract",
    "Exposure assessment relies on the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test (correlation with standard measurement is asserted but details not provided in abstract)",
    "Multiple co-exposures and co-factors are discussed (infections, metals, asbestos), limiting attribution to EMF/EF/MF",
    "No quantitative long-term exposure levels provided for the environmental bedroom/workplace exposures in the abstract",
    "Causal language is tentative (\"may contribute\", \"appear to be associated\")"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "very_low",
  "confidence": 0.66,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "electric fields",
    "magnetic fields",
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "60 Hz",
    "16K Hz",
    "very high frequency",
    "bedroom exposure",
    "workplace exposure",
    "Thromboxane B2",
    "acetylcholine",
    "lead",
    "mercury",
    "aluminum",
    "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.62,
      "reason": "Discusses prolonged exposure in the workplace as a potential contributor to medical problems."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.3727/036012991816357991
PubMed: 1685623

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