SEARCH:
Sign in | Join | Help
search Mercola.com
 
FREE Subscription 
The World’s Most Popular Natural Health Newsletter
EMFs May Cause Cancer
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
October 22 2000 | 5,376 views

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), such as those found in overhead power lines or emanating from any electrical device or wiring, can have a biological effect on human cells.

This effect may contribute to the complex cellular process that leads to cancer, researchers from Michigan State University say.

James E. Trosko, a professor of pediatrics and human development states that " ... there is a biological effect of the energy imparted by extremely low frequency EMF (ELF-EMF) on living systems."

"Until now, the weight of the theoretical and experimental evidence has suggested that ELF-EMF did not have the ability to interact with genetic material to damage it, thereby causing mutations, which we know can lead to cancer," Trosko said.

In experiments on mice, researchers found that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of 60 hertz and of strengths ranging from .05 to 10 gauss interfered with a chemically induced maturation process in mouse leukemia cells and allowed the cells to continue to proliferate.

  • After four days of exposure, about 35 percent of the chemically treated cells that were exposed to ELF-EMF showed these effects.

  • Researchers feel that ELF/EMF is not a tumor "initiator", but rather a potential tumor "promoter".

  • According to Trosko, ELF-EMF "can turn them (genes) on and off at inappropriate times, causing these initiated cells to proliferate when normally they would just sit there quietly doing nothing."

"The bottom line is we showed there is a biological effect of EMF as measured by altering the expression of the hemoglobin-producing gene," he said.

The research was funded by a grant from the Electrical Power Research Institute.

Environmental Health Perspectives October, 2000 (Journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences).



Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Follow me on facebook

EMF is something that you want to avoid. Ideally it would be best to have a gauss meter and measure exposure in three dimensions. I have noticed that people will neglect to measure the fields at their feet. Frequently there will be wires in the floor which will generate significant EMF.

So it would be wise to measure EMFs in all three planes. EMFs will not cause severe damage or harm in all people, but the best EMF exposure can do is not hurt you.

Related Articles:

EMFs Affect Human Cells and May Cause Cancer

Are EMFs Hazardous to Our Health?

EMFs and Hormones






 
 
 
© Copyright 2009 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.