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Neurophysiological and behavioral effects of a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field in humans

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Legros A, Corbacio M, Beuter A, Modolo J, Goulet D, Prato FS, Thomas AW. · 2012

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One hour of 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field exposure was associated with reduced standing balance and increased physiological tremor amplitude in humans, but no effect appeared on EEG or voluntary motor control.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers investigated the effects of a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field on neurophysiological and neuromotor measures in humans, including EEG, standing balance, voluntary motor function, and physiological tremor. Results suggested a reduction of human standing balance and an increase of physiological tremor amplitude in the frequency range associated with central nervous system contribution, while no exposure effect appeared on EEG or voluntary motor control. The researchers concluded that 1 h of 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field exposure may modulate human involuntary motor control without being detected in cortical electrical activity.

Why This Matters

The study used a single experimental procedure to examine both brain activity via EEG and several aspects of motor function in human participants. Standing balance and physiological tremor showed suggested changes, while EEG and voluntary motor control showed no exposure effect. The authors described the tremor changes as occurring within the frequency range associated with central nervous system contribution, and noted that these effects were not reflected in cortical electrical activity measured by EEG.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
1.8 mT
Source/Device
60 Hz
Exposure Duration
1h

Exposure Context

This study used 1.8 mT for magnetic fields:

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 Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 1.8 mTExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 9 times the FCC limit
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 60 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic 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.

Cite This Study
Legros A, Corbacio M, Beuter A, Modolo J, Goulet D, Prato FS, Thomas AW. (2012). Neurophysiological and behavioral effects of a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field in humans Eur J Appl Physiol. 112(5):1751-1762, 2012.
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},
}
DOI: 10.1007/s00421-011-2130-x

Cited By (26 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

The study used a 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field.
Results suggested a reduction of human standing balance and an increase of physiological tremor amplitude within the frequency range associated with central nervous system contribution.
No exposure effect appeared on EEG or voluntary motor control.
The researchers suggested that 1 h of 60 Hz, 1,800 μT magnetic field exposure may modulate human involuntary motor control without being detected in the cortical electrical activity.
The study examined EEG, standing balance, voluntary motor function, and physiological tremor in humans.