There is a consistent evidence to suspect that a human health risk could stem from exposure to non-ionizing EMF. But such investigations on humans can be prone to various psychological factors, hence the reports concerning the effects TV-sets EMF on human health an physiology are quite contradictory. This is the reason why we undertook the research to verify whether there are any measurable biological effects of TV-sets on specifically designed and well tested non-human biosystems where any form of suggestion and other psychological factors can be safely excluded.
On the basis of our pilot tests with the TV-set (Ruzic et al. 1994) we made a series of tests on the growth and germination of spruce seeds Picea abies (L.) Karsten using our specially developed biological sensor system susceptible to EM radiation (Jeglic et al. 1994). There were seven experiments performed from November 1994 to June 1995. The effects on the S groups (i.e. seeds under the mild water stress) were the most obvious: the average lengths of radicles were mostly significantly higher (from 27 to 59% at 35 cm, from 16 to 59% at 90 cm) than in the control groups. In 4 experiments with N groups (normally watered) the average lengths were significantly shorter (by -20 to -12% at 35 cm, by -19 to -14% at 90 cm) against the control. There were almost no such differences in two control experiments with the TV-set turned off.
In general, the effects on the S groups were more pronounced indicating that organisms under stress are more susceptible to EMF. If we consider the distance, the effects were more conspicuous at shorter distances with the S groups while the N groups revealed no such preferences. This experiments also confirm preliminary results indicating the connection between seasonal variations of the physiological state of organism and the susceptibility to EMF.