Influence of extremely low-frequency electric fields on the growth of Vigna radiata seedlings

✍ Scribed by Evelina Costanzo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 321 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0197-8462
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.20666

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The biological effects of extremely low‐frequency electric fields (ELF) on living organisms have been explored in many studies, but the results are controversial and only a few studies investigated the influence of the intensity of the applied field on seedling growth. Here we assess the effects of a 50 Hz sinusoidal electric field on the early growth of Vigna radiata seedlings while varying the field intensity. Experiments performed in a dark, constant‐climate chamber on several thousands of seedlings show that the field produces an inhibitory effect at a low field intensity and an enhancing one at a higher intensity. The maximum negative effect occurs at about 450 V/m, which is an intensity much lower than the exposure limits currently in force in the safety regulations. Bioelectromagnetics 32:589–592, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.