Martine Souques

Electromagnetic fields, environment and health /

Electromagnetic fields, environment and health / , Electromagnetic fields, environment and health / , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز

Methodology of a study on the French population exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields

The characterisation of population exposure to a 50-Hz magnetic field (MF) is important for assessing health effects of electromagnetic fields. With the aim of estimating and characterising the exposure of the French population to 50-Hz MFs, two representative samples of the population were made. A random selection method based on the distribution of households in different regions of France was used. The samples were carried out starting from a random polling of telephone numbers of households (listed, unlisted fixed phones and cell phones only). A total of 95,362 telephone numbers were dialed to have 2148 volunteers (1060 children and 1088 adults). They all agreed to carrying an EMDEX II meter, measuring and recording MFs, and to filling out a timetable for a 24-hour period. In this article, the methodology of the sample selection and the collection of all necessary information for the realisation of this study are presented.

Exposure of children to extremely low frequency magnetic fields in France: Results of the EXPERS study

The assessment of magnetic field exposure in children is an important point in the context of epidemiological issues. EXPERS is the first study ever carried out measuring personal exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields at a national scale, involving 977 French children with 24 h personal measurements. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed for all the children, and only for children where no alarm clock was identified, as in some cases this requirement of the measurement protocol was not respected. The proportion of children with a 24 h arithmetic mean of ≥0.4 μT was 3.1% when considering all children and 0.8% when excluding alarm clocks. The alarm clocks were the main variable linked to the child exposure measurements. Magnetic field exposure increased when the home was located close to a high voltage power line. However, none of the 0.8% of children living at <125 m to a 225 kV line or <200 m to a 400 kV overhead line had a personal exposure of >0.4 μT. A multiple correspondence analysis showed the difficulty to build a statistical model predicting child exposure. The distribution of child personal exposure was significantly different from the distribution of exposure during sleep, questioning the exposure assessment in some epidemiological studies.

Computation of Pacemakers Immunity to 50 Hz Electric Field: Induced Voltages 10 Times Greater in Unipolar Than in Bipolar Detection Mode

Thisstudy aims to compute 50 Hz electric field interferences on pacemakers for diverse lead configurations and implantation positions. Induced phenomena in a surface-based virtual human model (standing male grounded with arms closed, 2 mm resolution) are computed for vertical exposure using CST EM® 3D software, with and without an implanted pacemaker. Induced interference voltages occurring on the pacemaker during exposure are computed and the results are discussed. The bipolar mode covers 99% of the implanted pacing leads in the USA and Europe, according to statistics. The tip-to-ring distance of a lead may influence up to 46% of the induced voltage. In bipolar sensing mode, right ventricle implantation has a 41% higher induced voltage than right atrium implantation. The induced voltage is in average 10 times greater in unipolar mode than in bipolar mode, when implanted in the right atrium or right ventricle. The electric field threshold of interference for a bipolar sensing mode in the worst case setting is 7.24 kV·m−1, and 10 times higher for nominal settings. These calculations will be completed by an in vitro study.

Magnetophospenes in humans exposed to ELF MF up to 50 mT, a threshold study

Although magnetophosphene perception is the most reliable reported effect on acute human neurophysiological responses to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field (MF) exposure, current knowledge is based on small sample size, non-replicated experiments. In this study, we established MF levels triggering magnetophosphenes at 20, 50, 60 and 100 Hz in humans. Magnetophosphene perception and EEG were collected in 55 magnetic flux density conditions randomly delivered in each frequency group (2 experiments, total n=145). Results indicate that threshold values 1) need to be reported as a function of dB/dt instead of flux density, and 2) are frequency-dependent (higher sensitivity to lower frequencies). No clear trend was found in EEG data.

Characterization of Children’s Exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields by Stochastic Modeling

In this study, children’s exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF, 40–800 Hz) is investigated. The interest in this thematic has grown due to a possible correlation between the increased risk of childhood leukemia and a daily average exposure above 0.4 µT, although the causal relationship is still uncertain. The aim of this paper was to present a new method of characterizing the children’s exposure to ELF-MF starting from personal measurements using a stochastic approach based on segmentation (and to apply it to the personal measurements themselves) of two previous projects: the ARIMMORA project and the EXPERS project. The stochastic model consisted in (i) splitting the 24 h recordings into stationary events and (ii) characterizing each event with four parameters that are easily interpretable: the duration of the event, the mean value, the dispersion of the magnetic field over the event, and a final parameter characterizing the variation speed. Afterward, the data from the two databases were divided in subgroups based on a characteristic (i.e., children’s age, number of inhabitants in the area, etc.). For every subgroup, the kernel density estimation (KDE) of each parameter was calculated and the p-value histogram of the parameters together was obtained, in order to compare the subgroups and to extract information about the children’s exposure. In conclusion, this new stochastic approach allows for the identification of the parameters that most affect the level of children’s exposure.

Energy and environmental intolerance: electromagnetic hypersensitivity, wind turbine syndrome. What is the reality?

Dans le contexte actuel des reflexions sur les moyens de production d’energie dans le cadre de la transition energetique, les questions d’intolerances environnementales idiopathiques s’invitent largement dans le debat, notamment l’electro-hypersensibilite attribuee aux champs electromagnetiques et le syndrome eolien incriminant les infrasons et sons de basses frequences emis par les eoliennes industrielles. Cet article tente de faire le point sur chacune de ces deux intolerances, en mettant en exergue leurs differences et leurs similarites. Si les sources incriminees sont differentes, en revanche les symptomes ressentis, variables et non specifiques d’une pathologie particuliere, sont tres similaires. Pour ces deux types de manifestations, aucune definition consensuelle du cas et aucun diagnostic medical n’ont ete etablis. Malgre l’absence de criteres diagnostiques objectifs, de nombreuses etudes ont recherche l’existence d’un lien potentiellement causal entre les symptomes et les facteurs environnementaux incrimines, visant a mettre en evidence un eventuel mecanisme sous-jacent plausible, qu’il soit de nature biologique ou psychologique. Pour l’electro-hypersensibilite, si la realite et parfois la gravite des symptomes ne font pas de doute, aucun lien causal avec les champs electromagnetiques n’est a ce jour demontre. Aucun mecanisme biologique n’apparait plausible. Pour le syndrome eolien, aucun effet sanitaire direct sur l’appareil auditif ou sur les autres organes imputable aux emissions sonores des eoliennes, dont les basses frequences et les infrasons, n’a pu etre demontre. La gene tangible frequemment evoquee est consideree le plus souvent liee a une perception negative des eoliennes en tant que telles. Pour l’un et l’autre syndrome, la piste d’un mecanisme psychologique a ete exploree, notamment la recherche d’un effet nocebo. En complement, des etudes commencent a investiguer le poids du collectif et les aspects sociologiques qui pourraient favoriser l’emergence de ces diverses formes d’intolerances. Enfin, en termes de prise en charge medicale, l’article s’interroge sur la place de ces intolerances environnementales emergentes par rapport aux manifestations somatomorphes bien connues notamment des medecins internistes.

Electricity and Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields

Extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields (E&MF) lie between 1 and 300 Hz and form an integral part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators exposed to low frequency magnetic fields

This paper presents a numerical modeling study of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), exposed to low frequency magnetic fields. Initially, an analysis of the standards that consider interference in ICDs was performed, to determine the level of induced voltage that may occur when the device is exposed to such magnetic fields. A Helmholtz coil was used to generate a uniform magnetic field. The magnetic field exposure was performed for the frontal position (front to back). This position presents the worst case scenario. The induced electric fields and voltage were investigated in both a simple homogenous block (brick) and in an anatomical model (virtual phantom). The ICDs sensitivity parameters were adjusted to minimum values (e.g. 0.2 mV for ventricular detection). This maximum sensitivity corresponds experimentally to the worst-case EMI scenarios. The results showed that magnetic fields above 5000 μT were required for the ICD to possibly present a dysfunction in the homogenous block, while they were only 1400μT in the anatomical model. These results could be informative for any proposed standards concerning the safety of ICDs (CENELEC, INCIRP) for workers as well as for the general public.

Sickness Absence from 1978 to 1992 of Electricité De France (EDF) Workers Exposed to ELF EMF

Health effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields have been studied for about thirty years. Among a long list of diseases, cancers, psychiatric illnesses, especially suicides and depression, and cardiovascular diseases have been suspected to be related to EMF.