The electromagnetic field (EMF) in electric vehicles (EVs) affects not only drivers, but also passengers (using EVs daily) and electronic devices inside. This article summarizes the measurement methods applicable in studies of complex EMF in EVs focused on the evaluation of characteristics of such exposure to EVs users and drivers, together with the results of investigations into the static magnetic field (SMF), the extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF) and radiofrequency (RF) EMF related to the use of the EVs in urban transportation. The investigated EMF components comply separately with limits provided by international labor law and guidelines regarding the evaluation of human short-term exposure; however other issues need attention—electromagnetic immunity of electronic devices and long-term human exposure. The strongest EMF was found in the vicinity of direct current (DC) charging installations—SMF up to 0.2 mT and ELF magnetic field up to 100 µT—and inside the EVs—up to 30 µT close to its internal electrical equipment. Exposure to RF EMF inside the EVs (up to a few V/m) was found and recognized to be emitted from outdoor radiocommunications systems, together with emissions from sources used inside vehicles, such as passenger mobile communication handsets and antennas of Wi-Fi routers.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/5/1719

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Abstract

High exposures to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) are possible in workplaces involving sources used for broadcasting, telecommunication, security and identification, remote sensing and the heating and drying of goods. A systematic literature review of occupational RF EMF exposure measurements could help to clarify where more attention to occupational safety may be needed. This review identifies specific sources of occupational RF EMF exposure and compares the published maximum exposures to occupational exposure limits. A systematic search for peer-reviewed publications was conducted via PubMed and Scopus. Relevant grey literature was collected via web searches. For each publication, the highest measured electric field strength, magnetic flux density or power density was extracted. Maximum exposures exceeding the limits were reported for dielectric heating, scanners for security and radiofrequency identification, plasma devices and broadcasting and telecommunication transmitters. Occupational exposure exceeding the limits was rare for microwave heating and radar applications. Some publications concerned cases studies of occupational accidents followed by a medical investigation of thermal health effects. These were found for broadcasting antennas, radar installations and a microwave oven and often involved maintenance personnel. New sources of occupational exposure such as those in fifth generation telecommunication systems or energy transition will require further assessment.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34789598/

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Guest Editors: Dr. Valentina Hartwig and Dr. Giuseppe Acri

6 papers has been published

Deadline: 1 January 2022

See this special issue at:

https://mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/Occupational_and_General_Public_Exposure_to_Electromagnetic_Fields

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Problematic gaming has been linked to poor sleep outcomes; however, these associations have not yet been synthesized quantitatively. This review employed a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between problematic gaming and sleep-related outcomes. A search of Medline, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar identified a total of 763 studies, including 34 studies (n = 51,901 participants) eligible for inclusion. Papers were included if available in any European language, addressed problematic gaming, contained original data, and provided sufficient data for calculation of effect sizes. Two researchers independently extracted data using pre-defined fields including quality assessment. Sleep-related outcomes were meta-analyzed for sleep parameters that were reported by 5 or more papers. Significant overall effects were found for sleep duration (g = −0.238, 95% CI = −0.364, −0.112), poor sleep quality (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.47, 2.78), daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.00, 2.46) and sleep problems (OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.94, 3.47). Between-study heterogeneity was detected for all meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses showed a higher inverse effect size for adolescent samples compared to adult or non-specific age samples in terms of sleep duration. For daytime sleepiness, a larger effect size was found for studies based on single-item sleep measures compared to multi-item sleep measures. For sleep problems, the subgroup analysis showed the opposite with a higher effect size for studies based on single-item sleep measures than multi-item sleep measures. Across all sleep parameters, problematic gamers consistently reported a more adverse sleep status than non-problematic gamers.

Extract:

There are a number of possible mechanisms by which gaming may influence sleep (25). As proposed by the media displacement hypothesis (26, 27), gaming could displace sleep directly as the individual chooses to engage in games over sleep, or indirectly by disregarding behaviors that are essential for good sleep hygiene (e.g., physical activity). For problematic gamers, the displacement may not be by choice but rather driven by an inability to stop playing. Arousal is another possible mechanism both due to social engagement, structural characteristics of the games (e.g., high event frequency), and the thrill related to winning or losing, which may interfere with sleep. The artificial blue-spectrum light emitted by screens projecting the visual gaming content may also directly enhance alertness and arousal (28), and suppresses nighttime melatonin secretion, important in regulating the sleep-wake cycle (29, 30). Followingly, late-night gaming may delay the sleep phase, making it difficult to fall asleep at needed or wanted times. Prolonged gaming may also negatively affect sleep by creating physical discomforts such as muscular pain and headache (31). Lastly, sleep may also be interfered by exposure to electromagnetic fields that are emitted by wireless gaming devices, which may alter the total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep architecture, as well as inhibit the secretion of melatonin (32–34).

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.675237/full

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Abstract

The amount of artificial electromagnetic fields of various parameters in the honey bee’s environment increases globally. So far, it had been proven that exposure to an E-field at 50 Hz can cause changes in bee’s behavior, alter the activity of proteases, and enzymatic antioxidants. Due to the potentially harmful effect of this factor on honey bees, we decided to investigate the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and the concentration of albumin and creatinine in bee’s hemolymph after exposure to 50 Hz E-field. Honey bee workers were placed in wooden cages (200 × 150 × 70 mm) and exposed to the 50 Hz E-field with the intensity of <1, 5.0, 11.5, 23.0, or 34.5 kV/m for 1, 3, 6, or 12h. A homogeneous 50 Hz E-field was generated in the form of a plate capacitor. Hemolymph samples for analysis were taken immediately after the end of exposure to the E-field from 100 bees from each group. According to our study, the activity of AST, ALT, and ALP in honey bees’ hemolymph decreased after exposure to 50 Hz E-field with various intensities. The decrease in AST, ALT, and ALP activity intensified with prolonged exposure time. 50 Hz E-field may cause the impairment of crucial metabolic cycles in the honey bees’ organism (such as the citric acid cycle, ATP synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, β-oxidation). Moreover, exposure to E-Field altered the concentration of creatinine and albumin, which are important non-enzymatic antioxidants. Such changes may indicate a disturbance in protein metabolism and increased muscle activity.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0252858

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Abstract

Many aspects of chemistry and biology are mediated by electromagnetic field (EMF) interactions. The central nervous system (CNS) is particularly sensitive to EMF stimuli. Studies have explored the direct effect of different EMFs on the electrical properties of neurons in the last two decades, particularly focusing on the role of voltage-gated ion channels (VGCs). This work aims to systematically review published evidence in the last two decades detailing the effects of EMFs on neuronal ion channels as per the PRISM guidelines. Following a predetermined exclusion and inclusion criteria, 22 papers were included after searches on three online databases. Changes in calcium homeostasis, attributable to the voltage-gated calcium channels, were found to be the most commonly reported result of EMF exposure. EMF effects on the neuronal landscape appear to be diverse and greatly dependent on parameters, such as the field’s frequency, exposure time, and intrinsic properties of the irradiated tissue, such as the expression of VGCs. Here, we systematically clarify how neuronal ion channels are particularly affected and differentially modulated by EMFs at multiple levels, such as gating dynamics, ion conductance, concentration in the membrane, and gene and protein expression. Ion channels represent a major transducer for EMF-related effects on the CNS.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33945157/

Extract

Limitations of this study

This study investigates a complex field, with sometimes conflicting results. The many variables that influence the impact of EMF exposure on neural tissue, such as the physiological state of the cell, its developmental stage, and the various physical characteristics of the many fields involved, complicate the reproducibility and often impede a consistent comparison between different studies. In spite of having highlighted some recurring patterns in the reported results, this review is, therefore, limited by the intrinsic differences of the studies reviewed.

Conclusion

Extract

Improved experimental reproducibility will be key to any advances in this field, and the development of new experimental procedures capable of measuring the small but profound way in which certain types of EMF exposure seem to affect our brain might help us to establish whether it is harmful and its therapeutic potential. We hope this work will help in improving our knowledge about the molecular dynamics of neuronal VGCs, which will be key both for any progress in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and for an advancement in the general understanding of the relationship between technological progress and cellular dynamics.

https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.14597

© 2021 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of New York Academy of Sciences.

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Bonnethead sharks swam in the direction of their home waters when placed in a tank charged with an electromagnetic field.

By Alex Fox SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
MAY 6, 2021

Every December, great white sharks swimming off the coast of California make a beeline for a mysterious spot in the middle of the Pacific roughly halfway to the Hawaiian islands. The sharks travel roughly 1,000 miles to the so-called white shark cafe. Tracking data has revealed that their routes are remarkably direct considering their paths traverse apparently featureless open ocean. Tiger sharks, salmon sharks and multiple species of hammerheads also make lengthy journeys to and from precise locations year after year.

Pete Klimley, a retired shark researcher who worked at the University of California, Davis calls the ability of some animals to find their way to pinpoint locations across the globe “one of the great mysteries of the animal kingdom.”

Now, new research published today in the journal Current Biology provides new support for a longstanding hypothesis that sharks use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate during their long-distance migrations. Scientists caught bonnethead sharks off the coast of Florida and put them in a tank surrounded by copper wires that simulated the magnetic fields sharks would experience in locations hundreds of miles from their home waters. In one key test, the bonnetheads were tricked into thinking they were south of their usual haunts and in response the sharks swam north.

Iron and other metals in Earth’s molten core produce electrical currents, which create a magnetic field that encircles the planet. The north and south poles have opposing magnetic signatures and invisible lines of magnetism arc between them. The idea that sharks can navigate by sensing these fields rests on the fact that Earth’s geomagnetism isn’t evenly distributed. For example, the planet’s magnetism is strongest near the poles. If sharks can somehow detect the subtle perturbations of Earth’s magnetic field, then they might be able to figure out which way they’re heading and even their position.

Sharks are known to have special receptors—tiny jelly-filled pits called ampullae of Lorenzini that are clustered around their noses—which can sense changes in voltage in the surrounding environment. In theory, these electroreceptors, which are usually used to detect the electrical nerve impulses of prey, could pick up Earth’s magnetic field. Prior experiments have shown that, one way or another, sharks can indeed perceive and react to magnetic fields, but figuring out whether sharks can use them to navigate long distances or as a kind of map is another matter.

Extract:

Scientists’ expanding sense of how sharks perceive their environment may even one day help researchers understand if humans are blocking or confusing the animals’ navigation as offshore infrastructure continues to grow in scope and complexity.

“One of the things that makes this work important is that they’re putting in wave farms and offshore wind farms and all of these projects have big high-voltage cables leading to shore,” says Klimley. “Those cables put off their own electric fields and if that’s how sharks navigate, we need to find out how that undersea infrastructure might impact migratory sharks.”

Read the article at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/new-evidence-suggests-sharks-use-earths-magnetic-field-navigate-180977668/

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Video abstract

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Full report:

EMFSA: Note, from the report below:

“A trend is emerging, which becomes clear even when taking these methodological weaknesses into account, i.e., that EMF exposure, even in the low dose range, may well lead to changes in cellular oxidative balance.”

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Abstract

Background: Little is known about radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF) from mobile technology and resulting dose in young people. We describe modeled integrated RF dose in European children and adolescents combining own mobile device use and surrounding sources.

Methods: Using an integrated RF model, we estimated the daily RF dose in the brain (whole-brain, cerebellum, frontal lobe, midbrain, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobes) and the whole-body in 8,358 children (ages 8-12) and adolescents (ages 14-18) from the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland during 2012-2016. The integrated model estimated RF dose from near-field sources (digital enhanced communication technology (DECT) phone, mobile phone, tablet, and laptop) and far-field, surrounding, sources (mobile phone base stations via 3D-radiowave modeling or RF measurements).

Results: Adolescents were more frequent mobile phone users and experienced higher modeled RF doses in the whole-brain (median 330.4 mJ/kg/day) compared to children (median 81.8 mJ/kg/day). Children spent more time using tablets or laptops compared to adolescents, resulting in higher RF doses in the whole-body (median whole-body dose of 81.8 mJ/kg/day) compared to adolescents (41.9 mJ/kg/day). Among brain regions, temporal lobes received the highest RF dose (medians of 274.9 and 1,786.5 mJ/kg/day in children and adolescents, respectively) followed by the frontal lobe. In most children and adolescents, calling on 2G networks was the main contributor to RF dose in the whole-brain (medians of 31.1 and 273.7 mJ/kg/day, respectively).

Conclusion: This first large study of RF dose to the brain and body of children and adolescents, shows that mobile phone calls on 2G networks are the main determinants of brain dose, especially in temporal and frontal lobes, whereas whole-body doses were mostly determined by tablet and laptop use. The modeling of RF doses provides valuable input to epidemiological research and to potential risk management regarding RF exposure in young people.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33245886/

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