ELF Radiation and Toxic Chemical Mixtures

One theory of the connection between ELF exposure and cancer suggests that ELF alters certain cellular processes that subsequently lead to strand breaks in DNA and other chromosomal aberrations. This theory is based upon free radical production caused by acute and chronic ELF exposure. It opines that acute exposure can lead to phagocytosis and consequently free radical production macrophage activation and direct stimulation of free radical production and an increase in the lifetimes of free radicals long-term exposure can lead to chronically increased free radical levels. 50  

It is generally accepted that magnetic fields at flux densities below 2 T do not induce adverse health effects. 49 This is refuted by a recent study that reported that a 50 Hz ELF of 1 mT strength is genotoxic to cells in vitro. 51 This study did not consider co-exposures to chemicals. 

Several studies have been carried out on mixtures of ELF and toxic chemicals that demonstrate the combined toxicities. Illustrative examples follow. 

Environmental magnetic fields (1.2 pT, 60 Hz) significantly reduce the inhibitory action of physiological levels of the hormone melatonin on the growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro. A similar inhibitory effect is 

The conflicting results just discussed raise the question of what are safe levels of exposure to ELF, or for that matter UV and RF as well. It is opined here that the answer may lie in a consideration of what chemicals the test organisms were co-exposed to at the time of electromagnetic radiation exposure. Co-exposures could come from xenobiotic species present in the home, workplace, or laboratory, environmental chemicals, and/or dietary uptake. 

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