National Association of Science Writers, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Rev Environ Health. 2021 May 27;37(1):81-122. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0026. Print 2022 Mar 28.
Ambient levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) have risen sharply in the last 80 years, creating a novel energetic exposure that previously did not exist. Most recent decades have seen exponential increases in nearly all environments, including rural/remote areas and lower atmospheric regions. Because of unique physiologies, some species of flora and fauna are sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that may surpass human reactivity. There is limited, but comprehensive, baseline data in the U.S. from the 1980s against which to compare significant new surveys from different countries. This now provides broader and more precise data on potential transient and chronic exposures to wildlife and habitats. Biological effects have been seen broadly across all taxa and frequencies at vanishingly low intensities comparable to today's ambient exposures. Broad wildlife effects have been seen on orientation and migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance and defense, and longevity and survivorship. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have been observed. The above issues are explored in three consecutive parts: Part 1 questions today's ambient EMF capabilities to adversely affect wildlife, with more urgency regarding 5G technologies. Part 2 explores natural and man-made fields, animal magnetoreception mechanisms, and pertinent studies to all wildlife kingdoms. Part 3 examines current exposure standards, applicable laws, and future directions. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as 'habitat' so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards, which do not now exist, should be set accordingly for wildlife, and environmental laws should be strictly enforced.
环境电磁场 (EMF) 水平在过去 80 年中急剧上升，创造了一种以前不存在的新型能量暴露。近几十年来，几乎所有环境中的电磁场强度都呈指数级增长，包括农村/偏远地区和低层大气区域。由于独特的生理特性，某些动植物物种对外源性 EMF 的反应比人类更为敏感。美国在 20 世纪 80 年代有一些有限但全面的基线数据，可与不同国家的新调查进行比较。这为野生动物和栖息地潜在的短暂和慢性暴露提供了更广泛和更精确的数据。在几乎可以忽略不计的低强度下，所有分类群和频率都观察到了广泛的生物效应，与当今的环境暴露相当。广泛的野生动物效应已经在定向和迁移、寻找食物、繁殖、交配、筑巢和筑巢、领地维持和防御以及寿命和存活方面观察到。已经观察到细胞毒性和遗传毒性效应。上述问题在三个连续部分中进行了探讨：第 1 部分探讨了当今环境 EMF 能力对野生动物的不利影响，对 5G 技术的关注更为紧迫。第 2 部分探讨了自然和人为电磁场、动物磁受体机制以及所有野生动物王国的相关研究。第 3 部分检查了当前的暴露标准、适用法律和未来方向。现在是时候将环境 EMF 视为一种新型污染形式，并在监管机构制定规则，将空气指定为“栖息地”，以便像其他污染物一样对 EMF 进行监管了。野生动物的丧失往往在达到临界点之前是看不见和未记录的。目前还没有针对野生动物的长期慢性低水平 EMF 暴露标准，应相应制定这些标准，并且应严格执行环境法。
