CHAPTER 24: Electromagnetic Fields and Micronuclei

Epidemiological findings indicate that exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-ELF), which are used for mobile telecommunications, and also to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (from usage of electric current) may cause cancer in humans. Evaluation of the literature about induction of micronuclei shows that the results of in vitro experiments are controversial and depend strongly on the type of indicator cells. However, the results of meta-analyses of studies with human buccal cells and lymphocytes indicate that both forms of radiation cause micronuclei formation, which is a biomarker of numerical and/or structural chromosomal aberrations. Since the methodological quality of many human studies on electromagnetic fields is poor, further high-quality investigations are warranted.