Effects of low frequency magnetic fields on chick embryos. Dependence on incubation temperature and storage of the eggs.

Chick embryos were exposed to sinusoidally oscillating 100 Hz magnetic fields during their first two days of development. The magnetic field strength was 1 A/m. Incubation temperatures of 36.3, 37.0, 38.0 and 38.5 degrees C were used and the duration of the storage of the eggs before incubation was varied from 1 hour to 4 days. After the incubation, the embryos were examined for abnormalities. When the temperature was 36.3 or 37.0 degrees C and the eggs were stored for one day or less, the effect of the magnetic field was statistically significant. In these conditions, the percentage of abnormal control embryos was low, 8% in 36.3 degrees C and 5% in 37.0 degrees C. In the exposed groups the corresponding percentages were 23% (36.3 degrees C) and 25% (37.0 degrees C). However, higher temperature and storage of the eggs for 3 to 4 days increased the percentage of abnormal embryos in both the exposed and control groups. The difference between the exposed and control embryos was not significant in these conditions. The results demonstrate the importance of the handling of the eggs in this kind of experiments.