Introduction
Intermediary Metabolism
Reproduction, Growth and Healing
Mutagenesis
Uncontrolled Variables
Summary
References
Introduction
In the exploration of a new field of research, many experiments unavoidably are "fishing
expeditions" in which a large number of variables are assayed. Often, valuable information is obtained
in unexpected areas under such circumstances, and this leads to the problem of piecing together diverse
results into a self-consistent viewpoint. In this chapter we review reports of effects in the areas of
metabolism, reproduction, growth and healing, and mutagenicity.
Intermediary Metabolism
Metabolic indices of carbohydrate metabolism are sensitive to EMFs (1-6). Dumanskiy and
Tomashevskaya (1) exposed rats to 2.4 GHz (2 hr./day), for up to 4 months. At 100 and 1000 µW/cm2
the animals exhibited a series of biochemical alterations in liver tissue that included a decline in
cytochrome oxidase activity, an increase in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, and an
activation of mixed-function oxidases in the microsomal fraction of the tissue. The largest changes
were seen after 1 month's irradiation, following which there was a tendency for the various enzyme
levels to return to baseline. Enzyme activities were unaffected by exposure to 10 µW/cm2. In another
study, Dumansky et al. reported an increase in blood glucose in humans following exposure to 15 kv/m
50 Hz, I.5 hours/day for 6 days (2).
Chernysheva and Kholodov studied the effect of a 90-gauss, 50 Hz magnetic field on several
aspects of carbohydrate, protein, and nucleic acid metabolism in the rat (3). They found EMF-induced
alterations in each area, including changes in liver glycogen, elimination of ammonia, glutamine
content in the heart, and nucleic-acid levels in brain and liver (Table 8.1).
Table 8.1. METABOLIC PARAMETERS IN RATS (in mg%) EXPOSED FOR 6 MONTHS TO 90
GAUSS (3 hr/day)
ELECTROMAGNETISM & LIFE - 102