Numerically simulated exposure of children and adults to pulsed gradient fields in MRI

PurposeTo determine exposure to gradient switching fields of adults and children in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner by evaluating internal electric fields within realistic models of adult male, adult female, and child inside transverse and longitudinal gradient coils, and to compare these results with compliance guidelines. Materials and MethodsPatients inside x-, y-, and z-gradient coils were simulated using anatomically realistic models of adult male, adult female, and child. The induced electric fields were computed for 1 kHz sinusoidal current with a magnitude of 1 A in the gradient coils. Rheobase electric fields were then calculated and compared to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) 2004 and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 2010 guidelines. The effect of the human body, coil type, and skin conductivity on the induced electric field was also investigated. ResultsThe internal electric fields are within the first level controlled operating mode of the guidelines and range from 2.7V m(-1) to 4.5V m(-1), except for the adult male inside the y-gradient coil (induced field reaches 5.4V m(-1)).The induced electric field is sensitive to the coil type (electric field in the skin of adult male: 4V m(-1), 4.6V m(-1), and 3.8V m(-1) for x-, y-, and z-gradient coils, respectively), the human body model (electric field in the skin inside y-gradient coil: 4.6V m(-1), 4.2V m(-1), and 3V m(-1) for adult male, adult female, and child, respectively), and the skin conductivity (electric field 2.35-4.29% higher for 0.1S m(-1) skin conductivity compared to 0.2S m(-1)). ConclusionThe y-gradient coil induced the largest fields in the patients. The highest levels of internal electric fields occurred for the adult male model. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:1360-1367

Microwaves from GSM Mobile Telephones Affect 53BP1 and γ-H2AX Foci in Human Lymphocytes from Hypersensitive and Healthy Persons

The data on biologic effects of nonthermal microwaves (MWs) from mobile telephones are diverse, and these effects are presently ignored by safety standards of the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). In the present study, we investigated effects of MWs of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) at different carrier frequencies on human lymphocytes from healthy persons and from persons reporting hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). We measured the changes in chromatin conformation, which are indicative of stress response and genotoxic effects, by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependence, and we analyzed tumor suppressor p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) and phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX), which have been shown to colocalize in distinct foci with DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), using immunofluorescence confocal laser microscopy. We found that MWs from GSM mobile telephones affect chromatin conformation and 53BP1/γ-H2AX foci similar to heat shock. For the first time, we report here that effects of MWs from mobile telephones on human lymphocytes are dependent on carrier frequency. On average, the same response was observed in lymphocytes from hypersensitive and healthy subjects

Public responses to precautionary information from the department of health (UK) about possible health risks from mobile phones

Understanding public perceptions of health information is of increasing importance in the light of the growing imperatives upon regulators to communicate information about risk and uncertainty. Communicating the possible health risks from mobile telecommunications is a domain that allows consideration of both public perceptions of uncertain public health information and public responses to precautionary advice. This research reports the results of a nationally representative survey in the UK (n = 1742) that explored public responses to a leaflet issued by the Department of Health (DoH) in 2000 providing information about the possible health risks of mobile phones. The aims of the study were twofold: a) to assess awareness of the leaflet and the extent to which participants could identify the precautionary advice that the leaflet contained as coming from the Government; and b) to examine publics’ responses to the current Government precautionary advice about mobile phone health risks; was this associated with increased concern or reassurance? The results indicate the importance of policy makers developing a clear understanding of the possible effects of communicating precautionary advice.Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programm

Lack of Teratological Effects in Rats Exposed to 20 or 60 kHz Magnetic Fields

BACKGROUND: A risk assessment of magnetic field (MF) exposure conducted by the World Health Organization indicated the need for biological studies on primary hazard identification and quantitative risk evaluation of intermediate frequency (300 Hz–100 kHz) MFs. Because induction heating cookers generate such MFs for cooking, reproductive and developmental effects are a concern due to the close proximity of the fields' source to a cook's abdomen. METHODS: Pregnant Crl:CD(SD) rats (25/group) were exposed to a 20 kHz, 0.2 mT(rms) or 60 kHz, 0.1 mT(rms) sinusoidal MF or sham-exposed for 22 hr/day during organogenesis, and their fetuses were examined for malformations on gestation day 20. All teratological evaluations were conducted in a blind fashion, and experiments were duplicated for each frequency to confirm consistency of experimental outcomes. RESULTS: No exposure-related changes were found in clinical signs, gross pathology, or number of implantation losses. The number of live fetuses and low-body-weight fetuses as well as the incidence of external, visceral, and skeletal malformations in the fetuses did not indicate significant differences between MF-exposed and sham-exposed groups. Although some fetuses showed isolated changes in sex ratio and skeletal variation and ossification, such changes were neither reproduced in duplicate experiments nor were they common to specific field frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of rats to MFs during organogenesis did not show significant reproducible teratogenicity under experimental conditions. Present findings do not support the hypothesis that intermediate frequency MF exposure after implantation carries a significant risk for developing mammalian fetuses. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 92:469–477, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Analysis of Erythemal UVB Dose Received Inside a Car in Valencia, Spain

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ysasi, Gonzalo Gurrea, Vicente Blanca Giménez, Juan Carlos Moreno, and María Antonia Serrano. 2018. Analysis of Erythemal UVB Dose Received Inside a Car in Valencia, Spain. Photochemistry and Photobiology 94 (2). Wiley: 390 97. doi:10.1111/php.12865, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12865. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."[EN] Continuous exposures to ultraviolet radiation can lead to harmful effects on human skin. Professional drivers may spend more than 8 h per day inside a vehicle. This study describes an analysis of the UVER (erythemal ultraviolet radiation) received by a driver and passenger inside a vehicle. A three-door Peugeot 206 was used for the study. VioSpor Blue Line dosimeters (with a response profile close to that of human skin) were used to measure the erythematic dose of UV radiation (able to produce erythema on human skin). Four dosimeters were placed in the driver¿s position and another four in the passenger¿s position. Daily irradiance was analyzed for a day in April using PMA radiometers. The measurements were obtained on relatively clear days from February to December 2009 between 9:30 A.M. and 3 P.M. Additionally, a prediction was made of the time required to produce an erythema on the driver¿s skin. UVER exposure, in some of the driver¿s positions, exceeds the Exposure Limits given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Skin protection measures should be taken into account by professional drivers to prevent the harmful effects of UVER radiation.This work was carried out with financing from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Project CGL2010-15931/CLI, from the Generalitat Valenciana within the PROMETEO/2010/064 Project, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, in the CGL200761813 Project.Gurrea-Ysasi, G.; Blanca Giménez, V.; Moreno, J.; Serrano, M. (2018). Analysis of Erythemal UVB Dose Received Inside a Car in Valencia, Spain. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 94(2):390-397. https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12865S390397942Ysasi, G. G., & Ribera, L. J. C. (2013). Analysis of Two Kinds of Tree as Physical Barriers Against Erythemal UVB Radiation Received. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 89(3), 724-729. doi:10.1111/php.12020Giménez, V. B., Ysasi, G. G., Moreno, J. C., & Serrano, M. A. (2015). Maximum Incident Erythemally Effective UV Exposure Received by Construction Workers, in Valencia, Spain. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 91(6), 1505-1509. doi:10.1111/php.12530Parisi, A. V., Sabburg, J., & Kimlin, M. G. (2004). Scattered and Filtered Solar UV Measurements. Advances in Global Change Research. doi:10.1007/978-94-015-1246-6Lavker, R. M., Gerberick, G. F., Veres, D., Irwin, C. J., & Kaidbey, K. H. (1995). Cumulative effects from repeated exposures to suberythemal doses of UVB and UVA in human skin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 32(1), 53-62. doi:10.1016/0190-9622(95)90184-1Lavker, R., & Kaidbey, K. (1997). The Spectral Dependence for UVA-Induced Cumulative Damage in Human Skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 108(1), 17-21. doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12285613Lowe, N. J., Meyers, D. P., Wieder, J. M., Luftman, D., Borget, T., Lehman, M. D., … Scott, I. R. (1995). Low Doses of Repetitive Ultraviolet A Induce Morphologic Changes in Human Skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 105(6), 739-743. doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12325517Serre, I., Cano, J. P., Picot, M.-C., Meynadier, J., & Meunier, L. (1997). Immunosuppression induced by acute solar-simulated ultraviolet exposure in humans: Prevention by a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 and high UVA protection. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 37(2), 187-194. doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(97)80123-5Reglamento (CE) 561/2006 DEL PARLAMENTO EUROPEO Y DEL CONSEJO de 15 de marzo de 2006GUIDELINES ON LIMITS OF EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION OF WAVELENGTHS BETWEEN 180 nm AND 400 nm (INCOHERENT OPTICAL RADIATION). (2004). Health Physics, 87(2), 171-186. doi:10.1097/00004032-200408000-00006Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage 1999 Erythema Reference Action Spectrum and Standard Erythema dose. CIE S-007-1998Gies, P., & Wright, J. (2003). Measured Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Exposures of Outdoor Workers in Queensland in the Building and Construction Industry¶. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 78(4), 342. doi:10.1562/0031-8655(2003)0782.0.co;2Moehrle, M., & Garbe, C. (2000). Personal UV Dosimetry by Bacillus subtilis Spore Films. Dermatology, 200(1), 1-5. doi:10.1159/000018306CEAM, Centro de Estudios Ambientales del MediterráneoDuarte, I., Rotter, A., Malvestiti, A., & Silva, M. (2009). The role of glass as a barrier against the transmission of ultraviolet radiation: an experimental study. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 25(4), 181-184. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0781.2009.00434.

Rapid and accurate broadband absorption cross-section measurement of human bodies in a reverberation chamber

A measurement methodology for polarization and angle of incidence averaged electromagnetic absorption cross-section using a reverberation chamber is presented. The method is optimized for simultaneous rapid and accurate determination of average absorption cross-section over the frequency range 1–15 GHz, making it suitable for use in human absorption and exposure studies. The typical measurement time of the subject is about 8 min with a corresponding statistical uncertainty of about 3% in the measured absorption cross-section. The method is validated by comparing measurements on a spherical phantom with Mie series calculations. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated with measurements of the posture dependence of the absorption cross-section of a human subject and an investigation of the effects of clothing on the measured absorption which are important considerations for the practical design of experiments for studies on human subjects

Pylons in the back yard: local planning and perceived risks to health

Health fears arising from the presence of high-voltage power lines in residential areas have received recent attention in spatial planning. A study of stances taken by planning authorities in England and Wales shows their willingness to give expression to the concerns of local communities through precautionary measures, and the difficulties encountered in the face of official statements and industry opposition. These attempts to embody local feeling in patterns of development are illustrative of the increasing prevalence of a sense of risk in contemporary society. The spatial patterns of risk are also revealed, which owe much to the presence and distribution of industrial infrastructure in the landscape and to the associated contested use of land.</p

Comparative international analysis of radiofrequency exposure surveys of mobile communication radio base stations

This paper presents analyses of data from surveys of radio base stations in 23 countries across five continents from the year 2000 onward and includes over 173,000 individual data points. The research compared the results of the national surveys, investigated chronological trends and compared exposures by technology. The key findings from this data are that irrespective of country, the year and cellular technology, exposures to radio signals at ground level were only a small fraction of the relevant human exposure standards. Importantly, there has been no significant increase in exposure levels since the widespread introduction of 3G mobile services, which should be reassuring for policy makers and negate the need for post-installation measurements at ground level for compliance purposes. There may be areas close to antennas where compliance levels could be exceeded. Future potential work includes extending the study to additional countries, development of cumulative exposure distributions and investigating the possibility of linking exposure measurements to population statistics to assess the distribution of exposure levels relative to population percentiles

Sensitivity to electricity – Temporal changes in Austria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An increasing number of persons suffer from non-specific health symptoms such as headache, sleep disturbances, difficulties in concentrating and more. In lack of a medical explanation, more and more persons take refuge to the assumption that they were electromagnetic hypersensitive (EHS) and electromagnetic pollution causes their problems. The discussion whether electromagnetic fields (EMF) could cause such adverse health effects is still ongoing.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on the Austrian inhabitants a statistical cross-sample of the general population with regard to age, gender and federal state had been investigated to assess the actual situation and potential temporal changes in comparison with a former study of 1994. In a telephone survey a total number of 526 persons were included.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This study showed an actual EHS prevalence of 3.5% compared with 2% estimated in 1994. About 70% of the sample believed that electromagnetic pollution could be a risk factor for health. More than 30% declared to at least some degree to be concerned about their well-being near mobile phone base stations or power lines. However, only 10% were actively looking for specific information. Media triggered EHS hypothesis in 24% of the cases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results show that concerns about EMF did not decrease with time in spite of scientific studies and health risk assessments concluding that a causal relationship of EMF below recommended reference levels and non-specific health symptoms would be implausible.</p