Effect of artificial electromagnetic fields on chicken embryos and on

Arch. Geflügelk. 1998, 62 (5), 234-236, !SSN 0003-9098. © Verlag Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co„ Stuttgart
Effect of artificial electromagnetic fields on chicken embryos and on chicks
Einfluß eines künstlichen elektromagnetischen Feldes auf Kükenembryonen und Küken
J. Niedzi61ka1, Wanda Borzem ska 2 , H. Malec 3 and K. Pawlak
1
Manuskript eingegangen am 18. Dezember 1997
lntroduction
From all microclimate factors studied so far in artificial incubation, the effect of electromagnetic fields on embryogenesis
is the least known one. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic environmental emissions are so high as to be called "electrosmog"
(V ARGA, 1995). ADEY and BOWIN (cited after KöN IG, 1987) confirm that electromagnetic fields affect the central nervous system in chicks.
First attempts to register changeable electric fields and
changeable magnetic fields and to measure their intensities in
house incubators QANOWSKJ et al., 1996) showed the highest
intensities within 50 cm from the source of emission of electrically-operated devices (frequency of 50 H z). High-frequency electromagnetic fields (EM; above 100 H z) led to teratogenic and destructive changes in chick development
(VARGA, 1969). lt was previously shown (NrEDZIOt,KA et al.,
1996) that fields of 50 H z with a relatively low intensity (electric 35 V/ m and magnetic up to 1,380 nT) stimulate embryo
development in the natural environment of an incubator.
1
Academy of Agriculture, Department of Anima! Hygiene and
Breeding Environment, Krakow
2 Warsaw Agricultural University, Department of Poultry Diseases,
Warszawa
3 Dept. of Poultry Consulting and Services, Warszawa
During the studies an attempt was undertaken to determine
the effect of EM fields of higher intensity than those found in
house incubators on the incubation period, on some biochemical indicators and on post-hatch chicks.
Material and Methods
The studies were carried out in two Bios-Midi laboratory incubators by incubating a total of 600 eggs from Hybro hens
at 4 months at egg production. Eggs were incubated until 18
days at 37.7 °C ± 0.5 °C and in 55 % ± 2 % relative humidity. After 18 days the eggs were put into the hatching compartment of the incubator, at 37.1 °C ± 0.5 °C and 70 % relative humidity. In order to produce an additional EM field and
to increase its intensity, three Heimholz coils 50 cm in diameter were installed in the experimental incubator. Each of
them had 30 coils wound on plastic bobbins. They were fed
by a transformer (U-0.87 V, 1-0.0069 A, P-0.06 W). Both incubators were powered with 220 V and 50 Hz. EM fields
were measured using a "feldmeter PBM 1003" produced by
Bio-Physik Mersemann. Values of incubation for particular
fields are compared in Table 1.
In group I (experimental) the eggs were held in an incubator with a device emitting an additional EM field throughout
the period of incubation. Eggs from group II (control) were
put in an incubator with a lower EM field than in group I,
i.e. there was no additional EM field emitting device.
Table 1. Values of induction for particular fields
Induktionswerte der einzelnen Felder
Item
Inhalt
Experimental incubator
(with additional EM field)
Control incubator
(without additional EM field )
Versuchsinkubator
(mit dem elektromagnetischen Feld)
Kontrollinkubator
(ohne das elektromagnetische Feld)
right side
left side
right side
left side
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1,446.7
803.4
1,634.3
769.2
167.5
22.5
249.3
34.4
175.5
91.6
167.4
97.4
7.4
3.4
15.8
4.0
Magnetic field (nT)
Magnetisches Feld [nT]
max.
mrn .
Electric field 01 I m)
Elektrisches Feld [Vlm]
max.
m1n .
Archiv für Geflügelkunde 5/ 1998
NIEDZIÖt.KA
et al., Effect of arrificial electromagneric fields on chicken embryos and on chicks ·
235
40
35
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30
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5
. . . . ..... . ....... . . . .......... . .......... „_„ ... .
0 ....~~--1~~~--~~~---~~~..,.::::;_~~+-~~-·~*~·~·~·~-·~-~-~-~*~-~-·~-~-~-~-·~c.:...:.~~-:~~~-:~~~·~~~-!ll
475
480
484
488
492
497
501
506
510
516
521
524
528
hour of hatching
Brutdauer in Stunden
· · ·X· - · Control group
Kontrollgruppe
- + - - Additional EM fteld affected group
Versuchsgruppe - behandelt mit erhohtem EM-Field
Fig. l. Hatching diagram of comrol group and of the group with the additional EM field
Schlupfdiagramm für die Kontrollgruppe und die mit dem EM-Feld behandelte Gruppe
A hatching diagram was drawn for both groups on the basis of time of setting and number of chicks hatched from 475
to 528 hours of incubation. Total hatching time (tc), average
time of incubation (x) and standard deviation (s) were calculated. The results of hatching are shown in percent.
Twenty chicks were taken from each group and blood was
collected to determine total protein level (g/l), alanine aminotransferase activity (ALAT; IU/ l), aspartate aminotransferase
activity (ASPAT; IU/l), urea (BUN; mg/l), uric acid (mg/l)
and alkaline phosphatase (IU/l).
Necropsy of dead embryos showed the following changes:
malposition, morphological deformations, delayed pulmonary
respiration, retention of protein, renal edema and hyperemia,
and arrested deveoplment.
The results were analysed statistically using C Chochran Cox
Test (ÜKTABA, 1974) and are presented in percent of set eggs.
Results and Discussion
The course of hatching on both groups in particular hours of
incubation is shown in figure 1. Chicks from group II (control) hatched from 457 to 497 hours of incubation, with peak
of the main hatching stage at 484 hours. This is in accordance
with the time of hatching in normal hause incubators (MALEC
et al., 1990). Average time of hatching in this group was 484.2
hours. lt is interesting to note the hatching curve for group I
(experimental) in which eggs were incubated for 21 days within increased EM field (Fig. 1). In this group the hatching process started at 497 hours, that is about 22 hours later than in
the control group . At 504 hours of incubation, that is on day
21, when hatching in the control group was already finished,
the embryos within the increased EM field were at the peak
Arc hi v fü r Geflü gel ku nde 5/ 1998
of hatching. T he whole hatching ended at 528 hours, that is
after 22 days. Average hatching time in this group was 508.4
hours (p < 0.01). Despite the difference in hatching time, no
significant differences were observed in hatching performance
and pathological changes in embryos (Tables 2 and 3).
The percentage of dead embryos in the oviduct with delayed lung respriration (Table 3), was higher. T his resulted
from embryogenesis prolonged by 24 hours. This might have
decreased embryo metabolism, leading to dysfunction of the
!iver and urinary system. For this reason the basic diagnostic
Table 2. Hatch results - after removing infertile and dead embryo
eggs (% )
Brutergebnisse - nach dem Entfernen der unbefruchteten Eier und
der Eier mit abgestorbenen Embryonen(%)
Item
Inhalt
Group I
Gruppe I
Group II
Gruppe II
Embryos dead at 1-7 days
Embryonen abgestorben, 1. - 7. Tag
9.5
8.8
Embryos dead at 8-18 days
Embryonen abgestorben, 8. - 18. Tag
4.7
5.1
Embryos dead at 19-21 days
Embryonen abgestorben, 19.-21. Tag
8.2
6.5
Hatch from set eggs
Schlupf der eingelegten Eier
73.0
74.6
Harch from ferrili zed eggs
Schlupf der befruchteten Eier
75.5
77.7
2.1
1.9
Culled chicks
getötete Küken
236
N 1EDZIÖLKA et al., Effect of artificial electromagnetic fields on ch icken embryos and on chicks
Summary
Table 3. Pathological changes in dead embryos (%)
Pathologische Veränderungen bei den abgestorbenen Embryonen
List of changes
Liste der Veränderungen
Grou p 1
Gruppe I
Group II
Gruppe 11
Ma ipos itio n
Abnormale Lage
5.5
7.0
Morphological deformatio ns
Morphologische Veränderungen
1.8
1.9
Arrested develop ment
H emmung der Entw icklung
2.4
1.9
Dclayed pu lmonary respiration
verspätetes Einsetzen der Lungenatmung
3.2
1.9
Protein retemio n
Proteinretention
2.9
3.2
Renal edema and hyperemia
Nierengeschwulst und Durchblutung
1.0
0.5
Zusammenfassung
Table 4. Biochemical indicators of blood serum in chicks
Biochemische Blutparameter bei den Küken
ltem
Inhalt
Group II
Gruppe II
Group 1
Gruppe I
cv
X
Total protein (g/I)
Gesamtprotein [gl/]
ALAT ( IU/ I)
ALAT ULIL
3.085
0.278 9.0
18.8 ''"'"
4.84 25.7
cv
X
4.22''"''·
14. l
0.242 5.7
3.43 24.4
12.7
230.4 ' _,,_
1.25
10.2
19.3'"'"
2.89 14.8
8.0
2.0
25 .0
23 .8''"''·
6.57 27.6
Alk. phosp h. (IU/ I) 2898.2
Alkalische
Phosphatase I UI L
442.6
15.3
AspAT (IU/I)
AspAT IUI L
195. I
BUN (mg/ 1)
12.2
24.8
26.7
**
*"'
Es wurd e d er E influ ß ein es vo rliege nde n z usätz lichen elektromag neti sc hen F eldes (EM ) auf d en Brutverl auf vo n Hühn erkü ke n untersuch t. Hi erzu wurd en insgesamt 600 E ier verwend et. Die H älfte d er E ier wurd e üb er di e gesam te Brutperio d e
ein em E M -Feld mit ein er Freq uenz vo n 50 H z (el ektrisches
Feld 170 Vm, magneti sc hes Feld 1600 nT) ausgesetzt. D as angelegte Feld bew irkte ein e Verlänge run g der Brutdauer um 24
Stu nd en u nd eine Veränd eru ng des Schlup fverlaufes . Bei d en
länger beb rüteten E iern wurd en Ve rände run ge n bei ein ige n
biochem ischen I ndi katoren des Stoffwechsels (Gesamtprotein,
Al anin-Tra nsferase, A lkali ne Am ino transferase, H arnstoff,
H arnsäu re) fes tgestellt. Es lag ein e erh ö hte A kti vität d er Alanin-Transferase und ein e redu zierte A kti vität de r A lka lin en
Amin o transferase vo r. D emgegenüber wurd en bei d en Brutindikato ren und d em path o mo rph o logischen Bild der abgesto rbe nen E mbryo nen kein e signi fik anten Veränd erun gen beobachtet.
l l .6
BUN [mgllj
Uric acid (mg/I)
H arnsäure [mgllj
T he effect of in creased EM (e lectro mag netic) field in te nsity
o n th e course of chi cken egg incubati on was stud ied. T he sru di es showed a signjfi ca nt effect of increased EM fi eld intensity
o n th e time of hatchin g and the level of so me biochemical indi cato rs. A n EM field of 50 H z (e lectri c field 170 mV and
mage nti c field 1,600 nT) caused a delay of hatchjng by 24
ho urs and a d eformati o n of the hatc hin g d iagram. T he chi cks
w hi ch hatc hed a d ay later showed biochemical d iffe rences in
th e level of total p ro tein, alanine t ransferase, alkalin e amin otransferase, urea und uri c ac id . o di ffe rences were fo und for
th e hatc hin g ind icators and for th e pathomorph o logical im age
of dead embryos.
Stichworte
H ühnereier, Brut, Bru td auer, elek tromag netische Felder
References
2849.2
447.6
15 .7
significant at p < 0.0 1; x - mc;rn; s - srn ndard dcvia1ion; cv - codficic m of variation
Signifikanz bei p < 0,01; x - Mittelt:.•erl; s - Standardalr~:t'ichrmg; C'"rJ - Variations-
koeffizient
ind icato rs we re chosen specifica lly fo r the dysfun cti o n of
these organs.
In gro up I (exp erimental) in ad d iti o n to the time of hatching visib le d iffe rences we re obse rved in in creased A LAT acti vity (p < 0.0 1) and d ecreased AspAT (p < 0.0 1), which proted
th e enzymati c d ysfun cti o n of the li ver (Table 4). T hi s led to
d ecreased urea, the biosy nth es is of whi ch takes place mainl y
in the li ver. T he lower urea level had an effect o n th e lowe r
level of the u ric acid (Table 4).
T he lowe r protein co nce ntrati o n (p < 0.0 1) fo und in
gro up I may ind icate the lower rate of p rotein biosynth es is in
the li ver.
In general, th e effect of increased electro magneti c fi eld o n
d evelo pin g emb ryos resulted in a decrease of th e metabolism
d uring em b ryoge nes is, w hich was 24 ho urs lo nge r th an no rmall y.
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Archiv für GcOügclkundc 5/ 1998