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Melatonin:Fundamental Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Settings for Optimal Human Performance
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Melatonin:
Fundamental Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Settingsfor Optimal Human Performance
by Katharina Gustavs
Environmental and Occupational Health Study ProgramUniversity of VictoriaAugust 2001
 
Melatonin:Fundamental Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Settings for Optimal Human Performance
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Breast Cancer Incidence and Etiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Melatonin - Its Antitumor Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Primary Factor: Light – Visible Non-Ionizing EMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Secondary Factor: Invisible Non-Ionizing EMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Exposure Characteristics of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiationand Occurrence of Melatonin Reduction Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Melatonin-EMR Information Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Siting and Measuring Capacity of Data Collection Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Real World Measurements in Residential Settings at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Multivariate Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17References for Tables 4 through 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Tables
Table 1:
Breast cancer incidence in developed and developing countries . . . . . . . 4
Table 2:
Proposed mechanism by which chronic exposure to low-levelnon-ionizing EMR may increase development and growth of breast cancer 6
Table 3:
Minimum light intensity in relation to exposure duration . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 4:
Earth’s Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 5:
Earth’s Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 6:
Power Frequency (60 Hz) - Electric Field and Melatonin Effects. . . . . . . 11
Table 7:
Power Frequency (50/60 Hz) - Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects I . . . 11
Table 8:
Power Frequency (50/60 Hz) - Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects II. . . 12
Table 9:
Power Frequency (50/60 Hz) - Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects III . . 12
Table 10:
Power Frequency - Electric and Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects . . 13
Table 11:
Magnetic Field and Melatonin Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Table 12:
Radiofrequency Radiation and Melatonin Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Table 13:
A total approach to EMR testingin relation to the occurrence of melatonin effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
 
Melatonin:Fundamental Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Settings for Optimal Human Performance
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Introduction
It has been a fast-paced revolution since Edison installed the first electric power plant in New York back in 1882. Already in 1896 Marconi established the first wireless connection. Though the non-ion-izing portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is huge, it took only a century to fill it all up with humanactivities. The last available frequencies are auctioned off these days for cellular phone communica-tion and digital television. Electricity is a hallmark of industrialized societies, especially in the West-ern world. We cannot and will not imagine life today without electricity.After scientists had learned their lessons about health risks associated with ionizing radiation, theInternational Radiation Protection Agency (IRPA) formed an IRPA Working Group for non-ionizingradiation in 1974. The current guidelines of the now International Non-Ionizing Radiation Commit-tee (INIRC) (Bailey et al. 1997) are based on established thermal bioeffects caused by induced elec-tric fields/currents of a respective field strength. Occupationally exposed and the general public areprotected from short-term, immediate health consequences. Official Canadian guidelines have adopt-ed most of those recommended exposure limits (Safety Code 6).Another hallmark of modern societies is cancer. In Western countries a particularly high incidenceof breast cancer is alarming (Howe et al. 2001). Causal relations in cancer etiology are hard to comeby because cancer is known not to develop over night, but rather over a long period of time, up to 15 or45 years from initiation to tumor development. Therefore any ubiquitous environmental factor shouldbe examined closely. Given the pervasive nature of anthropogenic electric and magnetic fields, Wer-theimer (1979) was the first epidemiologist to explore the relation between cancer and low-level non-ionizing EMR exposure.Ever since the debate goes on. Inconclusive findings, which are common fare for non-linear bioef-fects, and a lack of plausible biological mechanisms, which is part of any initial research into unknownareas, make such research efforts quite challenging.When Wilson (1981, 1983) and his colleagues reported that rats exposed to uniform 60-Hz electricfields had a suppression of the normal nocturnal rise in melatonin, a first plausible biological mecha-nism for the interaction between low-level non-ionizing EMR and living creatures began to emerge.At about the same time it was demonstrated by Tamarkin (1981) that melatonin inhibits the develop-ment of DMBA-induced mammary tumors in rats. Thus the Melatonin Hypothesis was born as putforth by Stevens in 1987. Though the evidence is sparse, it is definitely provocative.It is the objective of this paper first to review the current state of knowledge with respect to mela-tonin, low-level non-ionizing EMR and breast cancer, and second to propose a Melatonin-EMR Infor-mation Network monitoring non-ionizing EMR exposures worldwide and in real life, residential set-tings in relation to the melatonin rhythm and cancer incidences. The research findings will allow oc-cupational and health care professionals, architects and manufacturers of electric equipment includ-ing the general public to create a built environment at work and at home, which is designed for long-term health.
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