Abstract
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratories represent the marriage of the most basic of biological activities with the most cutting edge technologies. While this association has worked well, the mixture of biology and technology can create risks to normal embryo development. Recently a significant amount of literature has explored the risks of manmade, electrically induced magnetic fields and carrier waves on reproduction, which some studies have suggested will lower functional gamete numbers in the males and potentially induce genetic issues in embryos. However, little is known about these phenomena within the ART laboratory, a laboratory filled with electronic equipment. The object of the present study was to explore the potential exposure of gametes and early stage embryos to two of the most prevalent fields and waves utilized in manmade technologies seen in the general environment, electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radio frequency waves (RF), and determine the effect varying levels of these energetic forces had on gamete function and embryo development. Results indicated that while extremely high concentrations of EMF (approximately 50-100X of laboratory background) caused negative outcomes in both gametes and embryos, levels consistent will the majority of lab equipment did not appear to impact growth, or function. Further, even extremely high RF appeared to have no impact cellular function. Results suggest few issues with EMF or RF on gamete and embryo function at normal laboratory levels for the relatively short exposure times seen in the ART laboratory.
Highlights
Magnetic fields and energized carrier waves are naturally occurring phenomena seen throughout the universe
Initial short-term exposure of porcine sperm cells to >200 mG of electromagnetic fields (EMF) proved to be detrimental to semen parameters
Both the motility (P < 0.001) and forward progression (P < 0.001) of cells exposed to the EMF decreased rapidly compared to the control at all time-points point past 0.5 hrs (Figure 1; motility only)
Summary
Magnetic fields and energized carrier waves are naturally occurring phenomena seen throughout the universe. On Earth these forces are observed in varying scales from the planetary gravity which holds everything in the environment to the surface to more localized examples such as lightning and volcanic eruptions. These forces represent the background exposures unavoidable in everyday life. Beginning with the first commercial power plant in the late eighteen hundreds and culminating with the explosion of wireless communication systems (i.e., microwave radios, Wi-Fi, cell phones and satellite communications) that have become so common in everyday life, exposure to higher intensity carrier waves and the accompanying ionizing radiation, at levels tens to hundreds of time that of background levels, has become almost unavoidable. RF, being a form of ionizing radiation, has been associated with various cancers [3] [4]
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