Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE OF RATS EXPOSED TO 60-HZ ELECTRIC FIELDS
David I. Hilton, Richard D. Phillips · 1979
Rats showed no heart or blood pressure changes from 4-month exposure to extremely high 60 Hz electric fields.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to powerful 60 Hz electric fields (80-100 kV/m) for up to 4 months and measured heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses. They found no significant cardiovascular changes in exposed rats compared to control animals. The study specifically eliminated secondary effects like electrical shocks and ozone that may have influenced other research.
Finding
No significant differences in heart rates, ECG patterns, blood pressures or vascular reactivity measurements were found between exposed and sham-exposed rats after 8h, 40 h, 1 mo or 4 mo of exposure. Blood pressure and heart rate measurements, also taken during exposure to a 100 kV/m field for 1 h, revealed no significant differences between exposed and sham-exposed groups. In addition, physiological reserve capabilities, measured in rats exposed to 100 kV/m for 1 mo and then subjected to cold stress, showed that electric field exposure had no significant effect on the animals' physiological response to the cold stress.
In their words
“No significant differences in heart rates, ECG patterns, blood pressures or vascular reactivity measurements were found between exposed and sham-exposed rats after 8h, 40 h, 1 mo or 4 mo of exposure. Blood pressure and heart rate measurements, also taken during exposure to a 100 kV/m field for 1 h, revealed no significant differences between exposed and sham-exposed groups. In addition, physiological reserve capabilities, measured in rats exposed to 100 kV/m for 1 mo and then subjected to cold stress, showed that electric field exposure had no significant effect on the animals' physiological response to the cold stress.”
Show BibTeX
@article{cardiovascular_response_of_rats_exposed_to_60_hz_electric_fields_g5023,
author = {David I. Hilton and Richard D. Phillips},
title = {CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE OF RATS EXPOSED TO 60-HZ ELECTRIC FIELDS},
year = {1979},
}