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Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
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Glossary


ac—

Alternating current, normally considered to vary sinusoidal with constant frequency

ampere—(A)

Unit of electric current; 1 A = 1 coulomb per second

anisotropic—

Having different properties in different directions; dependent on angle

equation here

Magnetic flux density


bifilar—

Being composed of two wires

bipartite thoracic centra—

Primordial ossification points within the thoracic vertebra


carcinogen—

Chemical or physical agent capable of causing cancer

chromodacryorrhea—

A stress response consisting of the release from the eye of a porphyrin-based material secreted by a gland behind the eye, also called Ared tears.@

CI—

Confidence interval, 95% CI, if not otherwise specified

CIRRPC—

Committee on Interagency Radiation Research and Policy Coordination

coulomb (C)—

Unit of electric charge, the charge carried by a single electron is 1.6 H 10-19 C

cpm—

Counts per minute

equation here

Electric flux density, or displacement vector; its units are coulomb per square meter

Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×

dc—

Direct current, or current with Asteady @ flow

displacement current—

Quantity related to the time rate of change of the electric field

DMBA

7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, a known carcinogenic agent

DNA—

Deoxyribonucleic acid, found primarily in the cell nucleus and forms the molecular basis for heredity and cell function

g—

Medium permittivity

g0

Permittivity of free space

equation here

Electric-field strength (V/m)


electromagnetic fields—

Coupled electric and magnetic fields

ELF—

Extremely low frequency, usually associated with frequencies of the order of 3 Hz to 3 kHz

EMF—

Electromagnetic fields


foot (ft)—

1 foot = 0.304 meter

fos—

An early-response gene


gauss (G)—

The centimeter-gram-second (cgs) unit of magnetic flux density; 1 G = 10-4 tesla (T) (tesla is the SI unit of magnetic flux density); 1 mG = 0.1 FT; the earth = s static magnetic field is about 0.5 G

Gy (gray)—

Unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to 1 joule of energy deposited per kilogram of tissue

equation here

Magnetic-field strength (ampere per square meter)


harmonics—

Signals of nf0, where n is an integer and f0 is the fundamental frequency (e.g., the harmonics of a 60-Hz signal will be 120 Hz, 180 Hz, 240 Hz, and so forth)

Hertz (Hz)—

The SI unit of frequency, 1 Hz = sec-1

heterogeneous—

Composed of components of different kinds

HIOMT—

Hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase

homogeneous—

Composed of components of like kind


impedance—

The equivalent of electric resistance in an ac circuit element that determines the flow of current

in vitro—

Meaning A outside the living body, @ as measured in tissue or cell culture

in vivo—

Meaning A in the living organism, @ as measured in animals

isotropic—

Having one or more properties that are independent of direction; independent of angle


jun—

Cellular early-response gene

Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×

kilo (k)—

Designating the factor 1,000; as in kHz = 103 sec-1


mega (M)—

Prefix meaning mega, designating the factor 106; as in 1 MV = 1,000,000 volts; or as in MHZ = 1,000,000 sec-1

milli (m)—

Designating the factor 10-3, as in 1 msec = 10-3 sec; also used as the symbol for meters (m = meter) in application to length; 1 mm = 10-3 m; 1 m = 3.281 ft

myc—

Cellular early-response gene

F—

Prefix meaning micro, designating the factor 10-6; as in 1 :m = 0.000001 meter; also, medium permeability, when used as equation here = equation here

F0

Permeability of free space


n—

Prefix meaning nano, designating the factor 10-9; as in 1 nsec = 1 H 10-9 sec

NAT—

N-acetyltransferase

NMU—

N-nitroso-N-methylurea


OR—

Odds ratio

ossification—

Formation of bone


permittivity—

The permittivity is a complex number consisting of a dielectric constant and a loss factor (related to the conductivity); it is an electric property of the material

piezoelectric—

The production of an electric potential by an applied pressure or force

PKC—

Protein kinase C

prokaryote—

Cellular organism with no distinct nucleus, such as a bacterium or blue-green algae


relative risk (RR)—

Quotient of the risk in exposed to risk in unexposed individuals

rms—

Root mean square; the rms value of x is %x2


SCE—

Sister chromatid exchanges

semipartite thoracic centra—

Primordial ossification points within the thoracic vertebra

SI—

SystPme International; internationally adopted system of units, such as the meter, kilogram, coulomb, and second

F—

Volume conductivity

soma—

The body of an organism, or the body of a nerve cell

sternebra—

Primordial sternum of the embryo


terata—

Abnormalities in the developing or newborn fetus

tesla (T)—

Tesla, an SI unit of magnetic flux density; 1 T = 104 G

Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×

TPA—

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, a phorbol ester known as a cancer promoter

transients—

Short duration signals containing a range of frequencies and appearing at irregular time intervals

trenimon—

An alkylating agent used for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

streaming potential—

Potentials that vary with the movement of the ions in the surrounding fluids


vector quantities—

Quantities that are specified by magnitude and direction at all points in space

VLF—

Very low frequency, common designation for the frequency range from 3 Hz to 3 kHz

volt (V)—

A measure of electric potential

T—

2Bf, where f = frequency


wire code—

A surrogate means of assessing electric-and magnetic-field exposure on the basis of well-defined wiring configurations

Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×
Page 338
Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×
Page 339
Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×
Page 340
Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Research Council. 1997. Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5155.
×
Page 341
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Can the electric and magnetic fields (EMF) to which people are routinely exposed cause health effects? This volume assesses the data and draws conclusions about the consequences of human exposure to EMF. The committee examines what is known about three kinds of health effects associated with EMF: cancer, primarily childhood leukemia; reproduction and development; and neurobiological effects. This book provides a detailed discussion of hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization for each.

Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields also discusses the tools available to measure exposure, common types of exposures, and what is known about the effects of exposure. The committee looks at correlations between EMF exposure and carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, neurobehavioral effects, reproductive and developmental effects, effects on melatonin and other neurochemicals, and effects on bone healing and stimulated cell growth.

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