Devices, Facilities, and Shielding for Biological Experiments With Static and Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields

Abstract

Over the last decades, the interest on the biological effects of static and extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) on living organisms has been continuously growing. A myriad of bioeffects has been reported in the most diverse models, from bacteria and fungi to plants and even humans. Motivation has encompassed the most basic scientific curiosity, but also the concern for possible detrimental effects and the search for therapeutic and technological uses of ELF-MF. Experimentation has, to some extent, also focused on putting to test theoretical models of interaction. A substantial variety of devices, and even whole facilities, were developed to explore this yet poorly understood topic. In this review, we provide an up-to-date survey of the said devices and facilities, plus a revision on the various types of shielding reported in the literature. Finally, we enumerate a wide range of possible applications that are currently under study, whose development inevitably depends on an appropriate choice of field-generating devices, facilities and shielding. This should help researchers design their own experimental set ups from a wide perspective of what has already been developed and tested to date.