Effects of Static Electric Fields on Humans: Short and Long Term Consequences

[teilchen]

this isn't a quack question (is my monitor giving me cancer...etc) but are there any studies involving effects on humans of considerable static electric fields? say low thousands of Vm-1?

what could be possible long/short term effects?

 

[muadib2k]

A quick search on pubmed on the topic resulted in quite a few articles (so the question has been asked, at least to some extent, before). Here's the first article that caught my eye:

"Hemolysis of Human Erythrocytes by a Transient Electric Field"

Exposure of human erythrocytes, under isotonic conditions, to a high voltage pulse of a few kV/cm leads to total hemolysis of the red cells. Experiments described herein demonstrate that the hemolysis is due to the effect of the electric field. Neither the effect of current nor the extent of the rapid Joule-heating to the suspending medium shows a direct correlation with the observed hemolysis. Voltage pulsation of the erythrocyte suspension can induce a transmembrane potential across the cell membrane and, at a critical point, it either opens up or creates pores in the red cells.

 

[Ouabache]

this isn't a quack question (is my monitor giving me cancer...etc) but are there any studies involving effects on humans of considerable static electric fields?

That's not a quack question.
Health risks of computer monitors has been the subject of serious scientific debate and concern. Computer monitors using cathode ray tube technology (VDTs) as well as other sources of electromagnetic fields (high power lines) have been studied over the last decade in which there has been cause for concern.

Here is a quote from an Indiana Univ reference (July 1996) on Computers and Health

"While little evidence exists that low-frequency electrical fields damage the health of VDT users, Brodeur cites research showing that a serious problem may lie in the low-frequency magnetic fields VDTs produce. Preliminary findings suggest that disturbances at the cellular level can occur in people exposed to strong fields over long periods of time. These disturbances may be the cause of an increased incidence of miscarriage in pregnant VDT users and are thought to suppress the immune system, a factor tied to
cancer."

Here is a
]report[/url] from 1994, that discusses much of the research conducted up to that point.

 

[teilchen]

well usually it'd be accompanied by a follow up such as "if i buy this magnetism quantum ray blocker from www.scam.com will i be cancer-free"...not suggesting that anyone on this forum would ask such things :)

anyway, back to topic. the study muad mentioned is on a high voltage transitory field...ok its not AC, but it's not exactly a smoothly increased, and then fixed field. kinda assumed that that is what static field meant?