8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Whole Body / General

DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS FOR A LARGE-VOLUME, DC TO 60 Hz, 0.1 TESLA (PEAK) MAGNET FOR PRIMATE EXPERIMENTATION

Bioeffects Seen

T. S. Tenforde, C. G. Dols, A. A. Lake, R. D. Hay · 1979

Share:

Scientists designed a system 100,000 times more powerful than household magnetic fields to study biological effects in primates.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1979 technical report outlined design specifications for a large-scale magnet system capable of exposing primates to 60 Hz magnetic fields up to 0.1 Tesla (100,000 times stronger than typical household levels). The research aimed to create controlled laboratory conditions for studying how extremely powerful magnetic fields affect primate biology.

Why This Matters

This technical document represents an important milestone in EMF research history, describing plans for one of the most powerful magnetic field exposure systems ever designed for biological research. The 0.1 Tesla field strength is extraordinary - roughly 100,000 times stronger than typical household magnetic field exposures of 1-2 milligauss. While we don't have the experimental results, the very fact that researchers in 1979 were designing such powerful exposure systems indicates serious scientific interest in potential biological effects of magnetic fields.

What makes this particularly relevant today is that it demonstrates how early EMF researchers understood the need for controlled, high-intensity exposures to study biological mechanisms. The 60 Hz frequency matches our power grid frequency, making any findings from such research directly applicable to understanding potential health effects from everyday electrical exposures, albeit at much lower intensities.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
T. S. Tenforde, C. G. Dols, A. A. Lake, R. D. Hay (1979). DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS FOR A LARGE-VOLUME, DC TO 60 Hz, 0.1 TESLA (PEAK) MAGNET FOR PRIMATE EXPERIMENTATION.
Show BibTeX
@article{design_specifications_for_a_large_volume_dc_to_60_hz_0_1_tesla_peak_magnet_for_p_g6161,
  author = {T. S. Tenforde and C. G. Dols and A. A. Lake and R. D. Hay},
  title = {DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS FOR A LARGE-VOLUME, DC TO 60 Hz, 0.1 TESLA (PEAK) MAGNET FOR PRIMATE EXPERIMENTATION},
  year = {1979},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

The 0.1 Tesla system was approximately 100,000 times stronger than typical household magnetic field exposures, which range from 1-2 milligauss. This represents an extraordinarily powerful exposure level for biological research.
Researchers likely needed extremely high field strengths to produce measurable biological effects in controlled laboratory conditions. The powerful fields would help identify mechanisms and thresholds for magnetic field interactions with living tissue.
This system was designed as a large-volume magnet capable of exposing entire primates to uniform magnetic fields, unlike smaller laboratory equipment that typically exposes only cell cultures or tissue samples.
The 60 Hz frequency exactly matches the frequency of electrical power systems in North America, making any research findings directly relevant to understanding potential health effects from power lines and household electrical devices.
The sophisticated design specifications demonstrate that scientists recognized the potential for significant biological effects from magnetic fields over four decades ago, leading to investment in expensive, high-powered research equipment.