Effect of extremely low frequency magnetic field on antioxidant activity in plasma and red blood cells in spot welders
Sharifian A, Gharavi M, Pasalar P, Aminian O · 2009
View Original AbstractMagnetic field exposure at occupational levels significantly reduced key antioxidant enzymes by up to 22%, potentially increasing vulnerability to cellular damage.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied 46 spot welders exposed to magnetic fields at work versus unexposed workers. Exposed workers showed 22% and 12.3% decreases in key antioxidant enzymes in their blood cells, suggesting magnetic field exposure may weaken the body's natural defenses against cellular damage.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that ELF magnetic field exposure can compromise our body's antioxidant defense system, even at exposure levels considered 'safe' by current guidelines. The magnetic field strengths these welders experienced (8.8-84 microTesla) overlap with levels you might encounter near household appliances, power lines, or in certain occupational settings. What makes this research particularly significant is the clear dose-response relationship - the stronger the magnetic field exposure, the greater the reduction in antioxidant enzyme activity. The science demonstrates that oxidative stress is a key mechanism through which EMF exposure may contribute to various health problems. When your body's antioxidant defenses are compromised, you become more vulnerable to cellular damage that can contribute to aging, inflammation, and chronic disease. This adds to a growing body of evidence showing biological effects from EMF exposure occur well below current safety standards.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.0088 - 0.084 mG
- Electric Field
- 20–133 V/m
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
Exposure Context
This study used 0.0088 - 0.084 mG for magnetic fields:
- 440x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 88x above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
This study used 20–133 V/m for electric fields:
- 66.7x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The purpose of this study was to determine a possible relation between exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) and the human antioxidant activity.
The total serum antioxidant status (TAS), red blood cells (RBCs) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and su...
No significant differences in TAS levels were observed (P value = 0.065). However, in RBCs of expose...
The results of this study indicate that ELF-MF could influence the RBC antioxidant activity and might act as an oxidative stressor. Intracellular antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and GPX were found to be the most important markers involving in this process. The influence of magnetic field on the antioxidant activity of RBCs might occur even at the recommended levels of exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2009_effect_of_extremely_low_460,
author = {Sharifian A and Gharavi M and Pasalar P and Aminian O},
title = {Effect of extremely low frequency magnetic field on antioxidant activity in plasma and red blood cells in spot welders},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1007/s00420-008-0332-2},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00420-008-0332-2},
}