As submitted to the
TENTH INTERNATIONAL MONTREUX CONGRESS ON STRESS

Biological Effects on Humans of Electromagnetic Fields In The Frequency Range 0 to 3 GHz.
Results Of A Study of Russian Medical Literature From 1960 to 1996

Hans-Ullrich Balzer, MD., Karl Hecht, M. D.
Institute of Stress Research Berlin, Germany

There is a great deal of controversy about the biological and psycho-biological effects of electromagnetic fields on human beings. In the discussions of results of studies of western countries, which usually take place over a time period of only 1 to 3 years, Russian medical literature is neglected to a great extent. We analyzed about 1500 original works of Russian medical literature from the years 1960 to 1996, in which the effects of electromagnetic fields on humans, animals, and plants were studied. The following evaluation summary has to do to a large extent with examinations carried out by company physicians involving several thousand industrial workers subject to effects from electromagnetic fields, radar stations, and high-voltage plants, where the periods of influence spanned a range of up to 20 years The following symptoms are characterisitc and appeared much more often and intensly in relation to the number of years of service by the worker in a plant

Objective findings:

 Neurasthenia, neurotic symptoms
 Arterial hypotension1 bradycardia or tachycardia
 Hypoglycemia
 Vagotonic displacement of the cardiovascular system
 EEG changes (deterioration of the alpha rhythm)
 Hyperfunction of the thyroid
 Potency disturbances
 Passive tremor of the fingers
 Disturbances in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal cortico-adrenal system
 Digestive system disorders
 Sleep disorders
 Slowing down of the sensorimotor system
 Hair loss

Subjective symptoms reported by the patients:

 Exhaustion, weariness
 Lack of concentration
 Headache
 Diziness
 Profuse outbreaks of perspiration
 Spontaneous excitability due to hypotonic reaction conditions, especially under     heavy work pressure
 Heart trouble

A three-stage symptom complex was determined:

• 1st stage:
  Beginning symptoms which can last up to 3 years: without findings or a sympathicotonic reaction level
  
• 2nd stage:
  weakly pronounced symptoms lasting 3 to 5 years a reversal (shift) gradually occurs from the normal or hypertonic level to that of hypotonia.
  
• 3rd stage:
  highly pronounced symptoms more or less distinct replications of the symptom complex mentioned above.

Wheras the symptoms at stages 1 or 2 can subside into remission, they become unremitting (chronic) at stage 3.

In extensive supplementary experiments on test animals, it was determined that the biological effects of electromagnetic fields depend on a number of factors:

 Duration of subjection to influence
 Individual senstivity
 Kind of electro-magnetic field
 Dose

It also depends on the particular wavelength (when the dose is the same):

 mm-waves cause hardly any biological effect at all,
 cm-waves very little effect,
 dm-waves a distinct effect,
 m-waves a very highly pronounced effect.

It has also been shown from the results of animal experiments that electro-magnetic fields (depending on the factors previously mentioned) trigger an unspecific biological reaction over a longer period of time (along the lines of Hans Selye) that later usually remain at a hypotonic level.

Comparisons were made between the symptom complex caused by electro-magnetic fields and by CFS.