Review
Long-term exposure to magnetic fields and the risks of Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer: Further biological research
Introduction
In this review, we emphasize (a) two proposed biological models “explaining” the apparent relationship between high, long-term exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MFs) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), one of which also relates to breast cancer and (b) areas of biological research needed to confirm or refute these models. Prior to this discussion, we provide the conclusions from our detailed review chapter (Section 12: Davanipour and Sobel [1]) in the Bioinitiative Report [2] related to epidemiologic research, which initially identified these relationships. We refer the reader to Section 12 and supporting, peer-reviewed papers for details of the epidemiologic studies discussed in that section. Other papers in this issue of Pathophysiology (e.g., on the stress response and DNA strand breaks) demonstrate that exposures to ELF MF and radio frequency (RF) MF often have the same biological consequences.
Section snippets
Epidemiologic studies presented in the Bioinitiative Report related to Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer
The conclusions reached from our detailed review of the literature in Section 12 in the Bioinitiative Report (see references for URL) on long-term significant ELF MF exposure and Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer are provided below [1]. The section references below refer to sub-sections of Section 12 of the Bioinitiative Report.
Melatonin production (Section II). Eleven of the 13 published epidemiologic residential and occupational studies are considered to provide (positive) evidence that
Biological hypotheses relating ELF MF exposure to Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer
Two biological hypotheses are discussed. The first one relates ELF MF exposure to increased amyloid beta (Aβ) production and subsequent development of AD. The second one relates ELF MF exposure to decreased melatonin production. Decreased melatonin production appears to have differing deleterious consequences related to AD and breast cancer development.
Discussion and future research
Other papers in this special issue of Pathophysiology provide evidence that RF MF exposure and ELF MF exposure may have similar biological consequences.
We primarily limit our discussion of future research to studies in humans with experimental medicine components, emphasizing the latter. However, we initially discuss limiting exposures.
It should be noted that ELF MF exposure may also be associated with other cancers. This may be because of the decrease in melatonin production and melatonin's
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank Dr. James Burch, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, for his review of Section 12 in the Bioinitiative Report.
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2018, Environmental PollutionCitation Excerpt :There are other diseases or physiologic alterations which have been reported to be associated with exposure to non-thermal EMFs in humans and in animals (Belyaev et al., 2016). Alzheimer disease has been shown to be significantly associated with chronic ELF-EMF occupational exposure in prospective epidemiological studies (García et al., 2008; Davanipour and Sobel, 2009). Exposure to RF-EMFs has been reported to increase neuropsychiatric and behavioural disorders (Johansson et al., 2010; Divan et al., 2012), trigger cardiac rhythm alteration and peripheral arterial pressure instability (Havas, 2013; Saili et al., 2015), induce changes in immune system function (Lyle et al., 1983; Grigoriev et al., 2010; Sannino et al., 2011, 2014) and alter salivary (Augner et al., 2010) and thyroid (Koyu et al., 2005; Mortavazi et al., 2009; Pawlak et al., 2014) function.
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miRNA expression profile is altered differentially in the rat brain compared to blood after experimental exposure to 50 Hz and 1 mT electromagnetic field
2018, Progress in Biophysics and Molecular BiologyCitation Excerpt :Recently, several epidemiological studies have indicated that the occupational exposure (typical of electric power installers and repairers, power plant operators, electricians, telephone line technicians, welders, carpenters, and machinists) (D'Angelo et al., 2015) to ELF-MF have been a risk factor for neurological disease as AD (Sobel et al., 1995, 1996; Feychting et al., 2003; Harmanci et al., 2003; Håkansson et al., 2003; Qiu et al., 2004; Park et al., 2005; Davanipour and Sobel, 2009, Vergara et al., 2013). Dysregulation of calcium homeostasis, alterations in oxidative stress (Yokus et al., 2008), rises in Aβ secretion, nitric oxide level (Akdag et al., 2010) and reductions in melatonin production were represented as possible mechanisms which are responsible for the effects of ELF-MF on AD pathogenesis (Feychting et al., 1998; Del Giudice et al., 2007; Davanipour and Sobel, 2009 Artacho-Cordón et al., 2013). However, the mechanisms through that ELF-MF might influence AD are still unknown.
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No evidence of DNA damage by co-exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and aluminum on neuroblastoma cell lines
2017, Mutation Research - Genetic Toxicology and Environmental MutagenesisCitation Excerpt :More than 30 years ago, the report indicating an increased incidence of leukaemia in children living near power lines [1] raised concern about possible health hazards of chronic exposure to ELF-MF [2]. Since then, some epidemiological studies have confirmed an association between ELF-MF exposure and childhood leukaemia and suggested ELF-MF exposure as an environmental risk factor for other tumors and neurodegenerative diseases [3–9]. Other epidemiological investigations have not shown any negative health effect from exposure to ELF-MF [10–12].