Magnetic Environment and Embryonic Development: A Role of the Earth's Field

摘要

Magnetic fields (MF) of extremely low frequencies and intensities are known to affect chick embryo development. Previous studies indicated that exposure of embryos, during their first 48 h of incubation, to a pulsed MF of 100 Hz frequency and 0.4 micro Telsa intensity induced twice as many developmental abnormalities as in controls (p = 0.0001). Results were less consistent when similar experiments were carried out at a later time, and systematically repeated, during the relatively long period between September 1984 and November 1985: indeed, depending on the experiment, the frequency of abnormal embryos in the field exposed sample was greater, smaller or similar to that of the control group. The implication that this might be due to extraneous factors led to the present experiments. These suggest strongly a role for the Earth's MF in the effects of the artificial time-varying fields, as well as per se in the development of the chick embryos. (Reprints)