title: Static fields: biological effects and mechanisms relevant to exposure limits.
abstract: Recently, the International EMF Project of the World Health Organization (WHO) published an Environmental Health Criteria monograph on static electric and magnetic fields. In the present paper a short overview is given of the biological and health effects discussed in this document. The main conclusions are that no acute effects other than transient phenomena such as vertigo and nausea have been observed with exposure to static magnetic flux densities up to 8 T. There are no reports of long term or chronic adverse effects following prolonged static magnetic field exposure, but few data are available on which to base any judgment. The guidelines on static field exposure recommended by ICNIRP in 1994 are discussed in the light of current scientific knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, The Netherlands. e.van.rongen@gr.nl
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Rongen
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Emilie T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: van Deventer
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Repacholi
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001822:Body Burden; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008954:Models, Biological; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055672:Static Electricity; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: C434108:29 kDa antigen, Entamoeba histolytica; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D011994:Recombinant Proteins