The effect of 50 Hz electromagnetic fields on the formation of micronuclei in rodent cell lines exposed to gamma radiation

Low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) do not produce enough energy to damage DNA, in contrast to ionizing radiations. Any relationship between increased incidence of cancer and EMF must therefore be explained by a promoting effect on cellular transformation by ionizing radiation. The aim of this study was to investigate using the cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay a possible amplification of the genotoxic effects of ionizing radiations in cells exposed to combined static and power-frequency electromagnetic fields. Rat tracheal epithelial cell lines were first exposed in vitro to Co-60 gamma rays (0, 2 and 6 Gy) and cells were then cultured for 24 h in a homogeneous sinusoidal 50 Hz magnetic field (flux density: 100 mu T-rms) combined with an artificial geomagnetic-like field created by the use of horizontal and vertical pairs of Helmholtz coils. Control cells were cultured in an adjacent incubator where the background EMF was about 0.1 mu T-rms. Under our in vitro experimental conditions, EMF appeared to have no significant direct effect on micronucleus induction in rat tracheal cell lines. However, an increased frequency of binucleated cells with micronuclei was observed in cells exposed to 6 Gy of gamma rays and EMF, compared with gamma irradiation alone. This could enhance radiation-induced genomic alterations and increase the probability of neoplastic transformation.