Neurophysiological and behavioral effects of a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field in humans
Legros A, Corbacio M, Beuter A, Modolo J, Goulet D, Prato FS, Thomas AW. · 2012
View Original AbstractOne hour of power line frequency magnetic field exposure measurably impaired balance and increased tremors in healthy adults.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed people to 60 Hz magnetic fields (like those from power lines) for one hour. The exposure reduced standing balance and increased hand tremors, suggesting these common electrical frequencies can affect nervous system control of movement without obvious brain changes.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to power frequency magnetic fields can measurably affect human neuromotor function. The 1,800 microTesla exposure level, while higher than typical household environments (which range from 0.1 to 4 microTesla), is well within levels found near power lines, electrical panels, or certain appliances. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates biological effects on the nervous system without detectable changes in brain wave activity, suggesting that standard EEG monitoring may miss important neurological impacts of EMF exposure. The fact that balance and fine motor control were affected after just one hour of exposure raises important questions about the cumulative effects of chronic exposure in our electrically dense modern environment.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1.8 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 1h
Exposure Context
This study used 1.8 mG for magnetic fields:
- 90Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 18Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
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 present study aimed to investigate the effects of a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT MF exposure on neurophysiological (EEG) and neuromotor (standing balance, voluntary motor function, and physiological tremor) aspects in humans using a single experimental procedure.
Though results from this study suggest a reduction of human standing balance with MF exposure, as we...
These results suggest that 1 h of 60 Hz, 1,800 μT MF exposure may modulate human involuntary motor control without being detected in the cortical electrical activity.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2012_neurophysiological_and_behavioral_effects_272,
author = {Legros A and Corbacio M and Beuter A and Modolo J and Goulet D and Prato FS and Thomas AW. },
title = {Neurophysiological and behavioral effects of a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field in humans},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1007/s00421-011-2130-x},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-011-2130-x},
}