A review of studies of the biological effects of electromagnetic fields in the intermediate frequency range

Abstract

AbstractConcerns have been raised regarding the relationship between electromagnetic fields and human health. Compared to the research on extremely low frequency (ELF) and radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields, very few studies have addressed the biological effects of the electromagnetic field with intermediate frequency (IF) from 300 Hz to 10 MHz. This paper reviews the biological effects of IF electromagnetic fields with around 20 kHz from in vivo and in vitro studies. In contrast to studies on the effects of ELF and RF electromagnetic fields, few studies on biological effects of IF elecromagnetic fields have been carried out. From a short review based on published articles, it is seen that the available research data is inadequate for health risk assessment of IF electromagnetic fields. In future, it will be very important to conduct biological effects studies and evaluate the effects on human health from exposure to IF electromagnetic fields. © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.