The 20th century has seen an exponential increase of technical and scientific applications using electromagnetic fields (EMFs). There are and there will be even more of these innovative technologies in the 21st century. At the same time, concern about the potential effects of EMFs on human health raised although a process of harmonization of EMF standards has been undertaken worldwide. Presently, national and international guidelines establish limits for occupational and residential EMFs exposure that have been formulated on the basis of the exposure limits advised by the International Commission on Non Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), formally recognized by the World Health Organiza on (WHO). In this frame, EMFs are broadly defined as static and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields up to 300 GHz. Of course, a deep knowledge of the interaction mechanisms between non ionizing radiation and biological systems is crucial in the assessment of health effects. This topic is widely studied in Bioelectromagnetism, a discipline (of course, strongly based on the general theory of electromagnetism) involving engineering and physics with biology and medicine. As a matter of fact, the interdisciplinary association of the life sciences with the physical and engineering sciences leads to a fundamental and synergic work, not only necessary in order to answer on the possible hazards associated to non-ionizing EMFs, but also needed to achieve specific benefits, because EMFs are extensively used in medicine for diagnosis and treatment. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine a hospital without equipment like magnetic resonance, electrosurgical knife, electrocardiography, electroencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and so on. Hence, bioelectromagnetism is a significant part of our everyday life. Italian research activi es have given and give an important contribution to this scientific area. The studies are mainly carried out through collaborations, at the national and international level, and the number and quality of publications is relevant. Cooperation between Italian groups is promoted and facilitated by the Inter-University Center on Interactions between Electromagnetic Fields and Biosystems (ICEmB), that joins together all the major Italian Universities and Institutes active in the field (www.icemb.org). This Report gives a wide but not exhaustive overview of these activities. Many contributions arise from CNIT Units and/or ICEmB Units that are spread in all the Italian territory. It consists of three sections that are presented following the chronological order of development. The first section regards the SAFETY. It deals with the intensive and widespread actions of promotion and protection of the health of both general population and professional workers. The above mentioned network existing in our country is witnessed by the activities pursued in Italy by a number of Bodies. To name the main ones: the National Ins tute of Health (ISS), the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), the Regional Health Services (Aziende Sanitarie Locali, ASL), in cooperation with researchers involved in this area like that of the Chairs of Occupa onal Medicine and of Hygiene of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, CNR and ENEA National Researchand Centers the University of Naples Federico II. The second section is devoted to the DIAGNOSTIC, i.e. the application of EMFs for improving the detection of pathologies and monitoring the vital parameters like temperature and human breathing and heart beat activity. Once the proposed methods and techniques should be clinically established, a huge improvement in the clinical context can be expected. Finally, the third sec on concerns the THERAPY. It is described how EMFs can be applied for therapeutic purposes and in particular for orthopaedic and oncology treatments. It is highlighted the crucial role of the knowledge of interaction mechanisms at molecular and cellular levels and the related pathways as well as the multi -physics of the involved, non-linear processes. The long and hard work of preclinical and clinical research to establish clinical protocols is evident. These extraordinary results can be achieved only thanks the daily work of researchers involved in life sciences, physics and engineering that ooperate and share a common knowledge basis as well as a common language.

Electromagnetic fields and health: safety, diagnostic, therapy / Massa, R.. - 3:(2019).

Electromagnetic fields and health: safety, diagnostic, therapy

R. Massa
Writing – Review & Editing
2019

Abstract

The 20th century has seen an exponential increase of technical and scientific applications using electromagnetic fields (EMFs). There are and there will be even more of these innovative technologies in the 21st century. At the same time, concern about the potential effects of EMFs on human health raised although a process of harmonization of EMF standards has been undertaken worldwide. Presently, national and international guidelines establish limits for occupational and residential EMFs exposure that have been formulated on the basis of the exposure limits advised by the International Commission on Non Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), formally recognized by the World Health Organiza on (WHO). In this frame, EMFs are broadly defined as static and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields up to 300 GHz. Of course, a deep knowledge of the interaction mechanisms between non ionizing radiation and biological systems is crucial in the assessment of health effects. This topic is widely studied in Bioelectromagnetism, a discipline (of course, strongly based on the general theory of electromagnetism) involving engineering and physics with biology and medicine. As a matter of fact, the interdisciplinary association of the life sciences with the physical and engineering sciences leads to a fundamental and synergic work, not only necessary in order to answer on the possible hazards associated to non-ionizing EMFs, but also needed to achieve specific benefits, because EMFs are extensively used in medicine for diagnosis and treatment. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine a hospital without equipment like magnetic resonance, electrosurgical knife, electrocardiography, electroencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and so on. Hence, bioelectromagnetism is a significant part of our everyday life. Italian research activi es have given and give an important contribution to this scientific area. The studies are mainly carried out through collaborations, at the national and international level, and the number and quality of publications is relevant. Cooperation between Italian groups is promoted and facilitated by the Inter-University Center on Interactions between Electromagnetic Fields and Biosystems (ICEmB), that joins together all the major Italian Universities and Institutes active in the field (www.icemb.org). This Report gives a wide but not exhaustive overview of these activities. Many contributions arise from CNIT Units and/or ICEmB Units that are spread in all the Italian territory. It consists of three sections that are presented following the chronological order of development. The first section regards the SAFETY. It deals with the intensive and widespread actions of promotion and protection of the health of both general population and professional workers. The above mentioned network existing in our country is witnessed by the activities pursued in Italy by a number of Bodies. To name the main ones: the National Ins tute of Health (ISS), the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), the Regional Health Services (Aziende Sanitarie Locali, ASL), in cooperation with researchers involved in this area like that of the Chairs of Occupa onal Medicine and of Hygiene of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, CNR and ENEA National Researchand Centers the University of Naples Federico II. The second section is devoted to the DIAGNOSTIC, i.e. the application of EMFs for improving the detection of pathologies and monitoring the vital parameters like temperature and human breathing and heart beat activity. Once the proposed methods and techniques should be clinically established, a huge improvement in the clinical context can be expected. Finally, the third sec on concerns the THERAPY. It is described how EMFs can be applied for therapeutic purposes and in particular for orthopaedic and oncology treatments. It is highlighted the crucial role of the knowledge of interaction mechanisms at molecular and cellular levels and the related pathways as well as the multi -physics of the involved, non-linear processes. The long and hard work of preclinical and clinical research to establish clinical protocols is evident. These extraordinary results can be achieved only thanks the daily work of researchers involved in life sciences, physics and engineering that ooperate and share a common knowledge basis as well as a common language.
2019
9788894982251
Electromagnetic fields and health: safety, diagnostic, therapy / Massa, R.. - 3:(2019).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/776407
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