On the mechanism of extremely low frequency (ELF) electric field interactions with living tissue

A review of the empirical observations of ELF electric field effects on living tissue has led the authors to propose that effects occur through the action of the electric polarization forces which develop at the cell surface. Such an interaction mechanism predicts that the field effects should be associated with a time-development response as well as an actual deformation of the exposed cell. These two phenomena are investigated in two distinct experimental approaches, and the results are found to be consistent with the prediction of a field:cell interaction through polarization forces. The polarization force mechanism of interaction predicts that specific morphologic (cell size, shape, and orientation) and biophysical (glycocalyx content, permeability) properties will modulate the magnitude of the electrical force on the cell and therefore dictate the cellular response to the electric field. This suggests that perhaps the particular fields can be identified in advance, simplifying the problem of determining the long-term effects of environmental field exposure.