#0093 Relationship between exposure to Extremely Low-Frequency (ELF) magnetic field and the level of some reproductive hormones among power plant workers
Is Male Fertility Affected by Power Plant-Generated Magnetic Fields?
Power plant workers are constantly exposed to magnetic fields generated from different equipment. Specifically, they work in units that are often situated within extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields. Several studies have shown that ELF magnetic fields cause adverse health effects. Furthermore, these studies have hinted at the ability of ELF magnetic fields to negatively affect the structure and function of male reproductive hormone (MRH)-producing cells, called Leydig cells. Following up, we decided to determine if ELF magnetic fields cause an overall decrease in male fertility.
To determine this relationship, we assessed the general health of all male workers at a power plant in Tehran, Iran. We also determined their serum levels of MRHs like testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). These workers included those in the age group of 20 to 50 years, employed for at least two years at the power plant, and free of other determined causes of infertility.
Subsequently, we measured the ELF magnetic field exposure rate for each worker, based on which we segregated them into three groups: low, medium and high exposure. The workers were further divided into groups of smokers and non-smokers.
We found that the serum levels of the studied hormones were not affected by ELF magnetic fields. Further, we found that 98.4%, 98.4%, and 97.5% of all the included workers, had their serum levels of testosterone, LH, and FSH, respectively, within the normal range. In addition, we observed that serum levels of LH notably decreased with increase in age and work experience at the power plant.
Although, in our study, we concluded that exposure to ELF magnetic fields did not disrupt the activity of the analyzed reproductive hormones, we suspect that the use of ELF magnetic field-sensitive biomarkers, multiple measurements of serum levels and detailed exposure assessments would yield different results. Therefore, we recommend further detailed investigations into the relationship between male fertility and exposure to ELF magnetic fields.
Link to the original journal article:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/1348-9585.12173
Title of the paper:
Relationship between exposure to Extremely Low-Frequency (ELF) magnetic field and the level of some reproductive hormones among power plant workers
Authors:
Sheari Suri, Somayeh F. Dehghan, Ali S. Sahlabadi, Soheila K. Ardakani, Nariman Moradi, Maryam Rahmati and Fahimeh R. Tehrani
