Effects of exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields on humoral immune function in transformer substation workers / 中国职业医学

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of long-term exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields on the humoral immune function in transformer substation workers. METHODS: By simple random sampling method,64 workers with length of service longer than 5. 0 years in 500 k V transformer substation were chosen as exposure group and 57 general administrative staffs without exposure to power frequency electromagnetic field were chosen as control group. Venous blood was collected from subjects of these two groups and the levels of immunoglobulin( Ig) A,Ig G,Ig M,complement( C) 3and C4 in plasma were examined by immunoturbidimetry. RESULTS: Compared with the control group,the levels of both Ig A and Ig G increased( P < 0. 05),while both levels of C3 and C4 decreased( P < 0. 05) in exposure group. Compared with the control,the level of Ig G increased( P < 0. 05),while the levels of both C3 and C4 decreased( P < 0. 05) in exposure subgroup with length of service ≤10. 0 years. The level of C4 decreased( P < 0. 05) in exposure subgroup with length of service > 10. 0 years. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields may activate the humoral immune function in transformer substation workers.