Assessment of biological changes of continuous whole body exposure to static magnetic field and extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields in mice.
Hashish AH, El-Missiry MA, Abdelkader HI, Abou-Saleh RH · 2008
View Original AbstractContinuous exposure to power-line frequency EMFs caused weight loss, liver damage, and immune suppression in mice through oxidative stress.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to static magnetic fields and 50 Hz electromagnetic fields (like those from power lines) continuously for 30 days to study health effects. The exposed mice lost weight, showed signs of liver stress including increased oxidative damage, and had significant changes in their blood cells and immune system markers. The study demonstrates that prolonged exposure to these common electromagnetic fields can disrupt normal body functions through oxidative stress.
Why This Matters
This controlled study provides important evidence that continuous exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields - the type generated by power lines, electrical wiring, and household appliances - can cause measurable biological harm. The 50 Hz frequency tested is exactly what's used in electrical systems across most of the world. What makes this research particularly significant is the comprehensive range of effects observed: weight loss, liver dysfunction, immune system suppression, and cellular oxidative stress. The researchers found these effects occurred through disruption of the body's antioxidant defenses, leading to a cascade of physiological problems. This adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure below current safety guidelines can still trigger biological responses that may compromise health over time.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.0029 and 1.4 mG
- Source/Device
- SMF & 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- continuous for 30 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.0029 and 1.4 mG for magnetic fields:
- 145x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 29x 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
We investigated the effects of continuous whole body exposure to both fields for 30 days on some liver and blood parameters in mice.
Two exposure systems were designed; the first produced a gradient SMF while the second generated uni...
The results showed a gradual body weight loss when mice were exposed to either field. This is couple...
The results indicate that there is a relation between the exposure to SMF or ELF-EMF and the oxidative stress through distressing redox balance leading to physiological disturbances.
Show BibTeX
@article{ah_2008_assessment_of_biological_changes_384,
author = {Hashish AH and El-Missiry MA and Abdelkader HI and Abou-Saleh RH},
title = {Assessment of biological changes of continuous whole body exposure to static magnetic field and extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields in mice.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651307002357},
}