Heliobiology

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

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By: Tatiana Alexandrovna Zenchenko* , Tamara Konstantinovna Breus

Atmosphere 2021, 12(3), 346; (https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12030346)

[*Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia]

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Keywords: Heliobiology; space weather factors; human health; human magneto sensitivity; cardio-vascular system; geomagnetic activity; Schumann resonance

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Abstract

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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.

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These results provide an experimental and theoretical basis for studies of possible connections of space weather and human health.

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1. Introduction: Systematizing the Question and Setting the Problem

Heliobiology studies the possible impact of space weather (SpW) factors, including
solar activity (SA), heliospheric and geomagnetic processes, on biological systems at
different levels, from individual cells to populations and ecosystems.

The foundation of heliobiology as a science, with the formulation of its goals, tasks,
and methods, was laid 100 years ago by the works of A.L. Chizhevsky, who already
pointed to the Sun as the possible root cause of 11-year rhythms found in the dynamics of
various epidemics [1–3].

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Since then, over the years, the goal of heliobiology has been to prove the influence of solar processes on the biosphere and to search for new examples of such influence.

 

Such extensive and long-term proof was necessary because modern physics could not explain the mechanism of action of factors of such low intensity on
living systems.

 

The main stages of key concepts development of the probable biotropic role of SpW
factors were summarized in a number of books [4–10], and presented in numerous international conferences materials in 1992–2013 [11–14].
 

In 2006, Palmer et al. [15] published an extensive review with a critical analysis of
contemporary results of heliobiological studies.

They concluded that a number of heliobiological effects could be considered reliably confirmed; however, the potential physical and medico-biological mechanisms explaining the effect had not been adequately
worked out yet.

In 2016, another review was published [16], presenting the results obtained using
methodological approaches new to heliobiology, in which the main emphasis is not on
finding correlations, but on comparing biological and cosmic rhythms, which made it
possible to identify a new class of potential SpW effects.

 

The theoretical development difficulties of the atomic-molecular mechanism explaining the possible sensitivity of biosystems to weak magnetic fields are considered.

 

The authors conclude that “the biological effect of very weak alternating magnetic fields associated with solar and geomagnetic activity is real,” but a physically accurate explanation of this effect has not been developed by the time of this writing.
 

Examples of biotropy (i.e., the potential ability to influence living systems) of SpW
factors in the two above-mentioned reviews refer to only one class of phenomena:

bursts of increased morbidity and mortality correlated with the moments of geomagnetic
storms (GMS).

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However, the area of possible biological effects of SpW is much wider.

 

The living beings seem to be able to respond not only to extreme changes in environmental
factors, such as GMS, but also to the variations within the normal range.

 

This reaction turns out to be not so catastrophic, but still rather important for the body.

The study of calm, normal modes of living systems reaction to the changes in SpW is
necessary for understanding of Sun–biosphere system fundamental internal relationships.
 

Without understanding these mechanisms, it is also impossible to predict the
probable moments of breakdown in living systems functioning, which could be manifested
as catastrophes of various scales, from planetary epidemics to individual pacemaker
failure and one specific cardiac arrest.
 

Still, there are no reviews summarizing views and results of SpW factors possible
influence on healthy people.
 

There are several large scientific directions staying close or partially intersected to
heliobiology, but being different in the object and research methods.
 

First, these are studies dedicated to the biological effects of ionizing radiation, both
anthropogenic and natural.

 

This includes X-rays and gamma rays, neutrons, alpha, beta particles, and others, with energies that allow them to ionize atoms and molecules.

 

Ionizing radiation of solar and galactic origin is almost absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere and
presents the problem mainly for space flights [10,17,18].

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The area of intersection of this direction with traditional heliobiology is related to the study of the possible biological effects of solar flares (SF), where high-energy particles reach Earth’s surface.

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Secondly, this is magnetobiology, which studies the biological effects of magnetic
fields (MFs) action with characteristics of the magnetic component B = 0... 10 T, f = 0... 109
Hz, as well as the sensitivity of organisms to spatial heterogeneities of GMF (homing)
[19].

 

Heliobiology deals only with a small part of the specified range, including natural
MFs.

Finally, there are chronobiology (biorhythmology) and chronomedicine, which deal
with the issues of the temporal organization of biological objects [5].

 

This direction intersects with heliobiology in the study of the possible influence of SpW factors on the characteristics of biological rhythms.

A large number of studies are devoted to each of these areas. In our review, we
touch upon them to the extent that their results intersect with heliobiology.
 

Due to the limited scope of the publication, the possible biological effects of atmospheric
factors that are influenced by SpW, such as atmospheric electricity, thunderstorms and infrasound, remained outside the scope of consideration.

 

At the same time, we pay attention to situations in which one can suspect a simultaneous and combined effect of space and terrestrial weather factors on living systems.

The objectives of this work were to systematize the results obtained over the past 25
years on the possible responses of various human physiological systems to SpW factors
in different time scales, while paying special attention to precisely reversible,
non-catastrophic reactions, since there is every reason to assume that such reactions are
variants of the norm—less pronounced than illness or death, but practically comprehensive.

Studies of the potential SpW effects on different body systems vary greatly in scope.
 

The largest number of studies is devoted to the possible reactions of the cardiovascular
and autonomic nervous systems, as well as (to a lesser extent) the brain and endocrine
system.

 

These results are included in the review. The responses of other physiological
systems of the (such as the immune, digestive, or blood system) have been studied
to a lesser extent [20–23], and the results obtained on them cannot yet be systematized
due to their scarcity.

 

Therefore, they were left for consideration in future.

Three measurements can be formulated according to which it is advisable to distinguish
and systematize the existing results of heliobiological studies:

• The sampling rate of experimental data (years, days, hours, minutes, seconds);

• The level of organization of the studied biological systems (population, group, body,
body system, organ, cell, biomolecule);

• The degree of probable biosystem response (1 = norm (within the variation of the
norm and without a shift in the mean value); 2 = adaptation (reversible shift in the
mean values of bioparameters); 3 = failure of adaptation (disease); 4 = death of the
organism).

The fourth criterion for systematization is the design of the data collection methodology.
There are three main approaches here, each with its own advantages and limitations:

• Population studies, in which datasets on sudden deaths or hospital admissions for
exacerbations of various diseases serve as materials for analysis;

• Laboratory and clinical studies, which are based on observations and comparisons
of groups of sick and healthy people during GMS or other SpW events;

• Individual monitoring, which involves multiple repeated measurements of a certain
physiological indicator in the same person for a long time.

When considering and analyzing the results obtained in each time scale, we paid
attention to whether the potential heliobiological effect was detected at a given level, in
which form of system response (catastrophic or reversible) it was observed, and whether
it was possible to draw conclusions about its specific time-frequency and population
characteristics.

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