
Bioelectromagnetics 21:354^363 (2000)
Analysis of Induced Currents in a Rat Exposed
to 50 Hz Linearly and Circul arly P ol arized
M ag netic Fie lds
Kanako Wake,* Toshiyuki Tanaka, and Masao Taki
Department of Electrical Engineering,Tokyo Metropolitan University,Tokyo, Japan
This paper presents a numerical analysis of currents induced in a rat by linearly and circularly
polarized magnetic fields of 50 Hz. Special focus was placed on pineal gland and retina of rats since
these organs were often associated with the changes of melatonin synthesis and concentration.
Induced currents in two MRI-based rat models with resolutions of up to 0.125 mm
3
were calculated
by using the impedance method. We characterized the induced currents by amplitude and
polarization. Calculated induced current densities were extremely small, i.e., < 30 mA/m
2
for both
linearly and circularly polarized magnetic fields of 1.41 mT (peak). There were no significant
differences in amplitude nor polarization of induced currents in the pineal gland between the
linearly and the circularly polarized magnetic fields when the polarization was in a vertical plane. In
contrast, the magnetic fields rotating in the horizontal plane produced most circularly polarized
currents both in the pineal gland and in the retina. Bioelectromagnetics 21:354±363, 2000.
ß 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Key words: numerical analysis; impedance method; pineal gland; retina; polarization; MRI-
based numerical model
INTRODUCTION
Recent years have seen a growing interest in the
effects of electromagnetic ®elds on the melatonin
synthesis in the pineal gland and on the concentration
of melatonin in the blood, especially since melatonin
has been linked to the occurrence of certain kinds
of hormone-related cancers. Several studies have
reported a suppression of the nocturnal melatonin
concentration in rats after exposure to weak static or
extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic ®elds
[Welker et al., 1983; Lerchl et al., 1991; Kato et al.,
1993, 1997]. There are also some experimental reports
which found no effect on melatonin concentration in
rats exposed to electromagnetic ®elds [Kato et al.,
1994a,b; Lo
È
sher et al., 1998; John et al., 1998].
Kato et al. [1993, 1994a,b, 1997] conducted a
series of experiments to examine the changes in the
melatonin concentration in the pineal gland and blood
plasma of rats exposed to magnetic ®elds of 50 Hz.
Various linearly, elliptically and circularly polarized
magnetic ®elds of different ®eld strengths ranging
0.02±350 mT (rms) were applied. The circularly
polarized magnetic ®elds above 1.41 mT signi®cantly
suppressed the melatonin concentration compared to
the sham exposed group [Kato et al., 1993], whereas
no effect on the melatonin concentration was found for
the linearly and elliptically polarized magnetic ®elds
of the same order of magnitude [Kato et al., 1994a,b].
The linearly polarized ®elds were either horizontal or
vertical. The circularly and elliptically polarized ®elds
were generated by a superposition of a vertical and a
horizontal ®elds having a 90
phase shift between the
two. The resultant ®elds rotate in a vertical plane.
The results of these experiments suggest that the
observed effects on the melatonin concentration
depend on the characteristics of the applied magnetic
®eld. Lerchl et al. [1991] argued that eddy currents
induced by the applied magnetic ®eld could be
responsible for this phenomenon. The pineal gland
and the retina were discussed as possible sites of
interaction [Reiter, 1993]. If the induced currents are
responsible for the effects on the melatonin synthesis,
ß 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ÐÐÐÐÐÐ
Contract grant sponsor: Ministry of Education, Science, Sports
and Culture, Japan
Portions of this work were presented in preliminary form at the
1998 Annual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society.
Correspondence to: Kanako Wake, Dept. of Electrical Engine-
ering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa,
Hachioji-Shi, Tokyo, Japan. E-mail: kana@com.eei.metro-u.ac.jp
Received 21 August 1998; Final revision received 27 September
1999