Effects of a 60 Hz Magnetic Field Exposure Up to 3000 μT on Human Brain Activation as Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Legros A, Modolo J, Brown S, Roberston J, Thomas AW. · 2015
View Original AbstractOne-hour exposure to power-line magnetic fields caused lasting changes in brain activation patterns, even at levels found near electrical infrastructure.
Plain English Summary
Researchers scanned people's brains after one-hour exposure to 60 Hz magnetic fields from power lines. Brain scans showed altered activation patterns during tasks, even though performance stayed normal. This suggests magnetic field exposure can change how the brain functions, with effects lasting after exposure ends.
Why This Matters
This research provides compelling evidence that power-frequency magnetic fields can alter brain function in ways that persist after exposure ends. The 3000 μT exposure level, while higher than typical household levels (usually 0.5-4 μT), is well within the range found near power lines, electrical panels, and some appliances. What makes this study particularly significant is its use of fMRI technology to directly visualize brain changes, moving beyond subjective reports to objective neurological measurements. The fact that brain activation patterns changed without affecting task performance suggests these fields may influence neural processes in subtle but measurable ways. This adds to a growing body of evidence that our nervous systems can detect and respond to electromagnetic fields at levels regulators currently consider safe.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1.8, 3.0 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- one-hour
Exposure Context
This study used 1.8, 3.0 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
In this study, we have used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to characterize potential changes in functional brain activation following human exposure to a 60 Hz MF through motor and cognitive tasks.
First, pilot results acquired in a first set of subjects (N=9) were used to demonstrate the technica...
The results indicate significant changes in task-induced functional brain activation as a consequenc...
These results illustrate the potential of using fMRI to identify MF-induced changes in functional brain activation, suggesting that a one-hour 60 Hz, 3000 μT MF exposure can modulate activity in specific brain regions after the end of the exposure period (i.e., residual effects). We discuss the possibility that MF exposure at 60 Hz, 3000 μT may be capable of modulating cortical excitability via a modulation of synaptic plasticity processes.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2015_effects_of_a_60_672,
author = {Legros A and Modolo J and Brown S and Roberston J and Thomas AW.},
title = {Effects of a 60 Hz Magnetic Field Exposure Up to 3000 μT on Human Brain Activation as Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.},
year = {2015},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0132024},
}