|
Magnetic field effects on plants and fungi
|
EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRUCE SEEDLINGS
(Picea abies L.) |
|
SINUSOIDAL MAGNETIC FIELD
The main line of research was to study the effects of sinusoidal
magnetic fields (produced by Helmholtz coils, 25-100 microT,
50 Hz), on the growth and germination of spruce seeds. 500
seeds were exposed to a defined magnetic field and the same
number was used for the control, therefore all the results
were always compared to the control group grown under identical
conditions, except it was not exposed to magnetic fields. While
we were still unable to predict the biological effects of weak
magnetic fields just from the standpoint of standard physics,
such a sensor system would be, at least in principle, able
to give some information about the possible biological effects
of the studied magnetic fields. Another important finding of
this line of research was that under stress conditions (i.e.
drought or low pH) the biological effects of weak magnetic
fields were enhanced or at least detectable, while under normal
conditions they may often be undetectable. The following magnetic fields (MFs) and regimes of exposure
were used:
1) Sinusoidal MF (one coil): 50 Hz; 4 mT; 1 h/day, 20-34 days,
intact seedlings and those with their roots cut off, grown
in container with moisture sand. The results showed that MF
inhibited the growth of intact main roots and enhanced the
ramification and development of the lateral ones. In the subsequent
experiments the seeds were germinating in Petri dishes and
were maintained in the pasteboard boxes in the dark. (Jerman
et al. 1989).
2) Sinusoidal (50 Hz) and high frequency
(16 kHz) MF stemming from ordinary color TV set (at 35 cm
distance Emax was 290 V/m, Bmax was 0.2 µT), 8 h/day,
7 days. The results showed that after 7 days the length of
seedlings was significantly longer only when the seeds were
previously soaked in water. When using normally imbibed seeds
the lengths were significantly shorter than in the control
group. (Jerman et al. 1996,1998,
Ruzic et al. 1994).
3) Sinusoidal MFs (produced by a pair of Helmholtz like coils):
46 Hz, 10 microT; 50 Hz, 26, 103 and 105 microT, 12 h/day,
7 days. The seeds were simultaneously exposed to different
stress conditions: 1 - drought stress (simulated by polyethylene
glycol, 88 and 176 g/l), 2 - low pH (pH 2 and 3), 3 - soaking
of seeds in water for two days, 4 - toxic chemicals (AlCl3,
40-5000 microM). The results showed that MF 10 microT 46 Hz
significantly stimulated growth of seedlings (i.e. the length),
while there were no effects either on their germination or
fresh weight. MF 26 and 105 microT 50 Hz inhibited growth and
fresh weight of seedlings and delayed the germination. MF 26
microT showed inhibitory effects mostly at pH 2, less at pH
3. MF 105 showed inhibitory effects both at pH 2 and 3. At
drought stress the germination and fresh weight were strongly
inhibited. Soaking of seeds yielded stimulatory results only
on the growth of seedlings. MF 103 microT acting together with
toxic chemical (AlCl3) revealed sharp window effect. The length
of seedlings was statistically significantly longer than in
the control only at 100 microM Al. At other concentrations
(40, 70, 130, 160, 400, 800, 2000 and 5000 microM Al) MF demonstrated
no effects. Ruzic et al. 1998a,b, 2000).
4) Sinusoidal MF (generated by a pair
of Helmholtz like coils): 50 Hz; 105 µT;
12 h/day, 7 days, when the direct MF effects and the effects of magnetically
treated water were studied (indirect effects). The seeds were watered simultaneously
with distilled and deionised water (DD), with DD + 0.25, 0.5 or 5 mM Ca2+ and
with tap water (1.7 mM Ca2+). The results showed the inhibitory effect on total
germination on the 5th day of the experiment at 0.5 mM Ca2+ (direct treatment),
and at 0.25 mM Ca2+ (indirect treatment). (Ruzic et al. 1998c)
Our references
- Jerman I., Jeglic A, Fefer D (1989): Magnetic
stimulation of normal and cut spruce seedlings. Biol. Vestn.
37: 45-56.
- Jerman I., Kustor
V., Jeglic A., Fefer D. (1993): Subtle electromagnetic
protection can have biological effects. Transactions of
the 2nd EBEA Congress, Bled, December 9-11 1993, pp. 144-145. Abstract
- Jerman I., Jeglic A., Kustor V., Ruzic
R.,Fefer D., Miklavcic D. (1994): The concept of electromagnetic
bioeffectometry. Sixteenth Annual Meeting of B.E.M.S., Abstract
book, Copenhagen Denmark, June 12-17 1994. pp. 164. Abstract .
- Jerman I., Berden M., Ruzic R. (1996):
Non-ionizing TV-set radiation has demonstrable biological
effects - indication for health risk. International symposium
on human health and non-ionizing radiation, Ljubljana, Slovenia,
February 6-7, 1996. Published in: Abstract book pp.8-B. Abstract
- Jerman I., Berden
M., Ruzic R., Skarja M. (1998): Biological effects of TV
SET EMFs on the growth of spruce seedlings. Electro. Magnetobiol.
17(1): 31-42. Abstract
- Ruzic R., Jerman I., Kustor V., Jeglic
A., Fefer D. (1994): The effects of TV monitor on germinating
spruce seeds. Fourth International Scientific Conference
WWDU '94. Book of short papers, October 2-5, 1994. University
of Milan, Milano, pp. E22-24. Abstract
Back
|
