HHS-OASH-2026-0397-3934
https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-3934

Study shows an association between occupational exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields and cardiovascular outcomes reported in seven of the 14 studies included in this review:

Occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency fields and cardiovascular consequences: a systematic review

Raeisi E, Maghare Dehkordi S, Yazdanirad S, Mohammadian-Hafshejani A. Occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency fields and cardiovascular consequences: a systematic review. Public Health Rev. 2026 Sep 25;47:1609952. doi: 10.3389/phrs.2026.1609952. 

Abstract
Objective: Exposure to extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields can have harmful effects on human health. The present systematic review study aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational exposure to ELF and cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods: Searches were conducted in six electronic bibliographic databases: Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar. This search included records up to August 19, 2026. The search strategy used two sets of keywords. Following the selection of proper studies, relevant data were extracted by the reviewers. To assess the risk of bias in the included studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used.

Results: Seven of fourteen studies (50 percent) showed that there is an association between ELF field exposure and cardiovascular outcomes. However, the available evidence is insufficient to establish causality. Some of the outcomes reported in the studies included acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, hematological parameters, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.

Conclusion: Exposure to ELF fields may be associated with some cardiovascular outcomes. However, the confirmation of this relationship remains ambiguous, and it requires further investigations in future research.

Excerpt


Extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields are a type of electromagnetic field with frequencies from 1 to 300 Hz [1]. Exposure to these waves is common in occupational environments because it can occur during production, transfer, distribution, and use of electricity [2]. Some effects due to exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields include cerebral cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral and mental problems, sleep and wake rhythm disorder, and changes in perception and memory [3]. Compared with these outcomes, the possible cardiovascular effects of ELF exposure have received less attention and remain less clearly understood [4].
Conclusions

An association between occupational exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields and cardiovascular outcomes was reported in seven of the 14 studies included in this review. However, the findings were not consistent across the studies, and the current evidence is not sufficient to confirm a causal relationship. The differences in the results of the studies could be because of differences in exposure frequency, exposure duration, and exposure level to the ELF field. Some studies reported associations with acute myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular-related changes, whereas others found no significant effects. Therefore, although a possible relationship between occupational ELF exposure and cardiovascular health cannot be ruled out, the strength and clinical importance of this association remain uncertain. The findings of this research may be useful to plan strategies to prevent cardiovascular diseases in different settings. However, more studies are needed to investigate the effect of the ELF electromagnetic field with the mentioned characteristics in various environments to confirm these results. Moreover, some confounding factors, such as personal, occupational risk, and psychosocial factors, may influence this association. The roles of these factors must be considered in future studies. Also, differences in these effects between various people with different factors should be examined in future research.

Open access: https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/public-health-reviews/articles/10.3389/phrs.2026.1609952/full