Review of Russian Literature on Biological Action of DC and Low-Frequency AC Magnetic Fields
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Bioelectromagnetics 22:27^45 (2001) Review of Russian Literature on Biological Action of DC and Low-Frequency AC Magnetic Fields Mikhail N. Zhadin* Laboratory of Neurocybernetics, Institute of Cell Biophysics, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia This review considers the Russian scientific literature on the influence of weak static and of low- frequency alternating magnetic fields on biological systems. The review covers the most interesting works and the main lines of investigation during the period 1900 to the present. Shown here are the historical roots, beginning with the ideas of V. Vernadsky and A. Chizhevsky, which led in the field of Russian biology to an increasing interest in magnetic fields, based on an intimate connection between solar activity and life on the Earth, and which determined the peculiar development of Russian magnetobiology. The variety of studies on the effects of magnetic storms and extremely low-frequency, periodic variations of the geomagnetic field on human beings and animals as well as on social phenomena are described. The diverse experiments involving artificial laboratory magnetic fields acting on different biological entities under different conditions are also considered. A series of theoretical advances are reviewed that have paved the way for a step-by-step under- standing of the mechanisms of magnetic field effects on biological systems. The predominantly unfavorable influence of magnetic fields on living beings is shown, but the cases of favorable influence of magnetic fields on human beings and lower animals are demonstrated as well. The majority of Russian investigations in this area of science has been unknown among the non-Russian speaking audience for many reasons, primarily because of a language barrier. Therefore, it is hoped that this review may be of interest to the international scientific community. Bioelectromagnetics 22:27±45, 2001. ß 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Key words: geomagnetic field; magnetic storms; artificial fields; industrial frequency; behavior; cell process; molecular process; theory INTRODUCTION should not only be preparations of nerves and muscles, but of the whole organism as well, including the In Russia, interest in the biological action of prokaryotes.'' magnetic ®elds has roots stretching back to the end of In the 1920s, a concept put forth by V. Vernadsky the 19th century. In 1881, in St. Petersburg, the book [1926, 1960] and A. Chizhevsky [1931, 1973] ``Metalloscopy and Metallotherapy'' by N. Grigor'jev concerning the important role of cosmic processes in was published, in which the author compiled the data the rise of life and humanity on the Earth profoundly on the therapeutic action of magnetic ®elds (MF) into in¯uenced those in the biological sciences. Vernadsky one complete volume. In 1900±1901 in Kharkov, the considered the Universe united with the motion of star two-volume monograph ``Research in Physiological systems, the organization of life and the development Action of Electricity over a Distance'' by the Russian of human society. Chizhevsky found the common ties physiologist V. Danilevsky, was published. Most part of relationship spreading all over the background of of the monograph was devoted to the description of life in the Universe. Later, A. Pressman [1968, 1971, reactions of the central nervous system to electro- 1976], developing the ideas by Vernadsky and magnetic ®elds (EMF). The author considered as his Chizhevsky further, considered EMFs as a bearer of task not only ``action of electricity over a distance,'' general information in animate nature, the biosphere, but action of EMF and MF too. V. Danilevsky de®ned the following questions as a general problem: ``... the ÐÐÐÐÐÐ in¯uence of a magnetic ¯ow, electric and electro- *Correspondence to: Dr. M. N. Zhadin, Laboratory of Neuro- magnetic ®eld, the in¯uence of electric rays in a cybernetics, Institute of Cell Biophysics, Moscow Region, Russian variety of their forms, combinations, including action Federation. E-mail: [email protected] of currents of high voltage and high frequency over a Received 31 March 1999; Final Revision Received 14 February distance, and so on. The objectives for investigation 2000 ß 2001Wiley-Liss,Inc. 28 Zhadin and the cosmos. In light of this concept, Vernadsky, control of results obtained in one institution through Chizhevsky, and Pressman found a unity of processes attempts at reproduction in other institutions and the in the solar system, the controlling action of the Sun on discussions connected with such sorts of control were the Earth's biosphere, the in¯uence of bursts of the of limited occurrence in Russian magnetobiology. solar activity on disturbances in the geomagnetic ®eld, Clearly, this could not help being re¯ected in the and the action of these disturbances on the life content of this review. The scienti®c level and degree processes on the Earth as quite natural things. of statistical validity of results greatly varied from Of course, individual aspects of this concept article to article. We chose the most interesting and may be accepted or rejected, but it exerted strong most reliable works for our review. in¯uence on the minds of many researchers, channel- Over a period of decades, Russian magnetobiol- ing them into investigation of the in¯uence of solar ogy was developed in conditions of relative isolation, activity on the terrestrial biosphere and the study of primarily because of a language barrier and lack of MF action on living objects. The concept launched contact with foreign scientists. But this situation investigations directed to revealing the in¯uence of changed in 1980's±1990's. The intercourse between magnetic storms on human beings and animals, and it Russian scientists and Western scientists, especially stimulated a variety of research projects that involved Americans, began strengthening. The visits of Profs. the action of laboratory MFs on biological systems. W. R. Adey, A. Guy, F. Barnes, R. Liburdy, A. Liboff, These investigations into the biological actions of L. Anderson, H. Wachtel, B. Veyret and others to EMF and MF have been performed for long periods of Russian laboratories and Profs. I. Akoev, M. Shandala. time and on a large scale. Since 1964, various cities Yu. Kholodov, V. Lednev. E. Fesenko, M. Zhadin and and institutions have been holding conferences and others to the USA allowed for cross-fertilization of symposia devoted to the various aspects of this ideas between Russian and Western scientists and problem. The Academy of Science of the USSR has promoted gradual inclusion of the Russian magneto- also given attention to this line of investigations. Since biology into international science. At present this 1970, in Moscow, the permanent seminar ``Biological process is quickly developing. It should be noted that Systems and Magnetic Fields'' (Chairman Prof. Yu. the majority of Russian investigations in biological Kholodov) of the Scienti®c Council on the complex action of DC and ELF MFs has been unknown among problem of ``Cybernetics'' at the Academy of Science the non-Russian speaking audience. The recent general of the USSR (now the Russian Academy of Science) review [Zolin, 1995] that is mainly devoted to the high has been in progress. In 1992, the Problem Committee frequency EMF gave little information about in¯uence ``In¯uence of Electromagnetic Irradiation on Biologi- of DC and ELF MFs. Solving this problem is a goal of cal Systems'' (Chairman Prof. M. Zhadin) at the the present review. Scienti®c Council on the Problems of Biological Physics of the Russian Academy of Science was SOLAR ACTIVITY, THE GEOMAGNETIC established. Working scienti®c groups and laboratories FIELD, AND LIFE were formed not only in Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), but also in other cities and towns such The geomagnetic ®eld (GMF) is a factor acting as Pushchino, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Simferopol, Sar- constantly over the entire surface of the Earth. Living atov, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Troitsk, and Dubna. beings can escape its action only under conditions of Every year, many interesting publications are being special laboratory shielding. The magnitude and issued in various scienti®c journals and collections of direction of the GMF are different in different areas scienti®c works. At the end of the 1960's and in the of the Earth. It varies from 35 mT in the equatorial 1970's, the number of publications on the biological areas, where it is mainly parallel to the terrestrial action of MFs coming out in the USSR was more than surface, to 70 mT in the vicinity of the magnetic poles twice as large as in Western Europe and the USA of the Earth, where it is near-vertical. The GMF rather combined [Kholodov, 1982]. This interest was created weakly varies with time. The variations of the GMF are by the works by Vernadsky and Chizhevsky. The very small compared with its own magnitude and scienti®c and social activities of Prof. Kholodov also are mainly caused by the Sun's in¯uences. The mag- played an important role in this process. netic storm (MS) is the most essential and prominent However, the abundance of Russian scienti®c disturbance of the GMF. publications on biological and medical effects of DC The MS presents a sharp disturbance of the GMF and AC MFs resulted from Russian magnetobiology that embraces the whole Earth and that lasts from mainly taking the path of expanding the diversity of several hours to several days [Yanovsky, 1964]. Its objects for MF action. Unfortunately, the mutual maximum magnitudes are up to 5 mT and are observed Biological Action of DC and Low-Frequency AC Magnetic Fields 29 in the high latitudes; in the middle latitudes they reach the frequency 8 Hz, the most prominent among those values of about 1 mT. Four general phases of the MS are just listed. recognized: preliminary, initial, main, and recovery. In Plants and animals living constantly in the GMF the preliminary phase, small changes in the GMF are have adapted to its action and have even learned to observed.