decrease in heart-rate was seen after 15 minutes exposure to 50 v/m, 60 Hz (z). The changes in the low-
frequency studies were strikingly similar to those reported in humans who were occupationally exposed
to power-frequency fields (see chapter 10).
Several studies have reported impacts of EMFs on cellular and noncellular components of
blood. As we have seen previously, similar kinds of changes occurred following exposure to widely
different EMFs (10, 15), and the direction of the changes differed with each animal. (11). The EMF
effects on RBC and WBC were time dependent; in the case of RBC, there is evidence to indicate that
animals can respond to a change in electromagnetic environment (13) as well as to the magnitude of the
EMF. This is a good agreement with results described earlier showing that intermittent exposure
produced different, usually greater, reactions than did continuous exposure to the same EMF.
An organism whose physiological reserve capital is being expended in a process of adaptation to
an environmental agent would be expected to exhibit a reduced capacity to deal with a second
simultaneous agent. This is exactly what has been seen in the immune-response studies: the fields
impaired resistance to infection, decreased phagocytic activity, and altered both cellular and humoral
immunocompetence.
References
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2. Fishcer, G., Waibel, R., and Richter, Th. 1976. Influence of line-frequency electric
fields on the heart rate of rats.
Zbl. Bakt. Hyg., I Abt. Orig. B
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3. Prokhvatilo, Ye.V. 1977. Reduction of functional capacities of the heat following
exposure to an electromagnetic field of industrial frequency.
JPRS
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4. Serdiuk, A.M. 1975. State of the cardiovascular system under the chronic effect of
low-intensity electromagnetic fields.
JPRS
L/5615, p. 8.
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on weight and arterial pressure dynamics of animals in chronic experiments.
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7. Graves, H.B., Long, P.D., and Poznaniak, D. 1979. Biological effects of 60-Hz
alternating-current fields: a cheshire cat phenomenon? In
Biological effects of
extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields
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ELECTROMAGNETISM & LIFE - 99