Geomagnetic storm under laboratory conditions: randomized experiment

Hypomagnetic Conditions and Their Biological Action (Review)

The geomagnetic field plays an important role in the existence of life on Earth. The study of the biological effects of (hypomagnetic conditions) HMC is an important task in magnetobiology. The fundamental importance is expanding and clarifying knowledge about the mechanisms of magnetic field interaction with living systems. The applied significance is improving the training of astronauts for long-term space expeditions. This review describes the effects of HMC on animals and plants, manifested at the cellular and organismal levels. General information is given about the probable mechanisms of HMC and geomagnetic field action on living systems. The main experimental approaches are described. We attempted to systematize quantitative data from various studies and identify general dependencies of the magnetobiology effects' value on HMC characteristics (induction, exposure duration) and the biological parameter under study. The most pronounced effects were found at the cellular level compared to the organismal level. Gene expression and protein activity appeared to be the most sensitive to HMC among the molecular cellular processes. The nervous system was found to be the most sensitive in the case of the organism level. The review may be of interest to biologists, physicians, physicists, and specialists in interdisciplinary fields.

Biological Effects of Magnetic Storms and ELF Magnetic Fields

Magnetic fields are a constant and essential part of our environment. The main components of ambient magnetic fields are the constant part of the geomagnetic field, its fluctuations caused by magnetic storms, and man-made magnetic fields. These fields refer to extremely-low-frequency (<1 kHz) magnetic fields (ELF-MFs). Since the 1980s, a huge amount of data has been accumulated on the biological effects of magnetic fields, in particular ELF-MFs. However, a unified picture of the patterns of action of magnetic fields has not been formed. Even though a unified mechanism has not yet been generally accepted, several theories have been proposed. In this review, we attempted to take a new approach to analyzing the quantitative data on the effects of ELF-MFs to identify new potential areas for research. This review provides general descriptions of the main effects of magnetic storms and anthropogenic fields on living organisms (molecular-cellular level and whole organism) and a brief description of the main mechanisms of magnetic field effects on living organisms. This review may be of interest to specialists in the fields of biology, physics, medicine, and other interdisciplinary areas.

The Possible Effect of Space Weather Factors on Various Physiological Systems of the Human Organism

A systematic review of heliobiological studies of the last 25 years devoted to the study of the potential influence of space weather factors on human health and well-being was carried out. We proposed three criteria (coordinates), according to which the work on solar–biospheric relations was systematized: the time scale of data sampling (years, days, hours, minutes); the level of organization of the biological system under study (population, group, individual, body system); and the degree of system response (norm, adaptation, failure of adaptation (illness), disaster (death)). This systematic review demonstrates that three parameters mentioned above are closely related in the existing heliobiological studies: the larger the selected time scale, the higher the level of estimated biological system organization and the stronger the potential response degree is. The long-term studies are devoted to the possible influence of solar activity on population disasters, i.e., significant increases in morbidity and mortality. On a daily scale, a probable effect of geomagnetic storms and other space weather events on short-term local outbreaks of morbidity is shown as well as on cases of deterioration in people functional state. On an intraday scale, in the regular functioning mode, the heart and brain rhythms of healthy people turn to be synchronized with geomagnetic field variations in some frequency ranges, which apparently is the necessary organism’s existence element. The applicability of different space weather indices at different data sampling rates, the need to take into account the contribution of meteorological factors, and the prospects for an individual approach in heliobiology are discussed. The modern important results of experiments on modeling the action of magnetic storms in laboratory conditions and the substantiation of possible theoreical mechanisms are described. These results provide an experimental and theoretical basis for studies of possible connections of space weather and human health.

Associations between Quasi-biennial Oscillation phase, solar wind, geomagnetic activity, and the incidence of acute myocardial infarction

An increase in the daily rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been observed during days of geomagnetic storm (GS). However, the analysis of associations between the daily number of AMI and geomagnetic activity (GMA) over longer periods sometimes yields controversial results. The study aimed to detect the complex association between the daily numbers of AMI and weather, the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) phase, GMA, and solar wind variables. We used data of Kaunas population-based Ischemic Heart Disease Register of residents of Kaunas city (Lithuania) for 2000-2012. The associations between weather and space weather variables and the daily number of AMI were evaluated by applying the multivariate Poisson regression. A higher risk of AMI was positively associated with active-stormy local GMA (rate ratio (RR) = 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.10)), solar wind dynamic pressure with a lag of 4 days (RR = 1.02 (1.01-1.04) per 1 nPa increase), and solar wind speed with a lag of 3-7 days (RR = 1.03 (1.01-1.05) per 100 km/s increase). A positive association was found between the west QBO phase and the risk of AMI during winter (RR = 1.08 (1.01-1.16)), and a negative association was observed between them during March-November (RR = 0.93 (0.90-0.97)). The risk of AMI positively associated with the GS due to stream interaction regions with a lag of 0-2 days during the east QBO phase (RR = 1.10, p = 0.046) and was negatively associated with them during the west QBO phase (RR = 0.82, p = 0.024). These results may help understand the population's sensitivity under different weather and space weather conditions. The QBO phase may modify the effect of GS.

The Influence of Changes in Magnetic Variations and Light-Dark Cycle on Life-History Traits of Daphnia magna

Day-night cycle is the main zeitgeber (time giver) for biological circadian rhythms. Recently, it was suggested that natural diurnal geomagnetic variation may also be utilized by organisms for the synchronization of these rhythms. In this study, life-history traits in Daphnia magna were evaluated after short-term and multigenerational exposure to 16 h day/8 h night cycle, 32 h day/16 h night cycle, diurnal geomagnetic variation of 24 h, simulated magnetic variation of 48 h, and combinations of these conditions. With short-term exposure, the lighting mode substantially influenced the brood to brood period and the lifespan in daphnids. The brood to brood period, brood size, and body length of crustaceans similarly depended on the lighting mode during the multigenerational exposure. At the same time, an interaction of lighting mode and magnetic variations affected to a lesser extent brood to brood period, brood size, and newborn's body length. The influence of simulated diurnal variation on life-history traits in daphnids appeared distinctly as effects of synchronization between periods of lighting mode and magnetic variations during the multigenerational exposure. Newborn's body length significantly depended on the lighting regime when the periods of both studied zeitgebers were unsynchronized, or on the interaction of light regime with magnetic variations when the periods were synchronized. These results confirm the hypothesis that diurnal geomagnetic variation is an additional zeitgeber for biological circadian rhythms. Possible mechanisms for these observed effects are discussed. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

A simulated geomagnetic storm unsynchronizes with diurnal geomagnetic variation affecting calpain activity in roach and great pond snail

It has been suggested that geomagnetic storms could be perceived by organisms via disruption of naturally occurring diurnal geomagnetic variation. This variation, in turn, is viewed by way of a zeitgeber for biological circadian rhythms. The biological effects of a geomagnetic storm, therefore, could depend on the local time of day when its main phase occurs. We have assessed calpain activity in tissues of roach (Rutilus rutilus) and great pond snail (Limnaea stagnalis) after exposure to a simulated geomagnetic storm, reproduced at different times of day, in order to evaluate this hypothesis. Significant decrease in calpain activity was observed in organisms exposed to the simulated geomagnetic storm whose main phase, and initial period of a recovery phase, did not coincide with the expected peak of diurnal geomagnetic variation. The results obtained are considered an experimental confirmation of the aforementioned hypothesis. Improvement of a correlative approach for the assessment of biological effects of geomagnetic activity can be achieved by considering information on the synchronization of geomagnetic storm's main phase with diurnal geomagnetic variation.

Combined influence of the local atmosphere conditions and space weather on three parameters of 24-h electrocardiogram monitoring

The effect of local atmosphere status and space weather on the healthy volunteers and the patients suffering arterial hypertension (AH) is studied. The research group included 12 healthy volunteers and 15 patients suffering AH of 1-2 degree. In the period of 24-h electrocardiogram monitoring (ECG), all the patients suffering AH continued to take effective antihypertensive therapy individually prescribed. All the patients and volunteers had normal sinus rhythm without disorders in cardiac conduction pathways. The ECG monitoring covered the period from November 23, 2016 till March 29, 2017. During this period, 4 moderate and 11 minor magnetic storms occurred. The horizontal component of the magnetic field recorded ranged from 140 to 270 nT. We used multi-classifier algorithm based on the decision tree with parallel branching, which specially developed by the authors. Apart from the horizontal component of magnetic field, 6 basic characteristics of the local weather data were used as the predictors of the algorithm. The output of this algorithm is elementary statement of cause-consequence connection (insight). In the periods of weak frost and intense precipitations (snow or rain with snow), the combination of rather high horizontal component of the magnetic field with elevated atmospheric pressure and humidity resulted in abnormal RR, PR, and QT intervals of ECG.