Oxidative DNA damage in rats exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields.
Yokus B, Cakir DU, Akdag MZ, Sert C, Mete N · 2005
View Original AbstractRats exposed to power-line frequency magnetic fields showed increasing DNA damage over time, suggesting cumulative genetic harm from long-term EMF exposure.
Plain English Summary
Turkish researchers exposed laboratory rats to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) for 50 and 100 days to measure DNA damage. They found that exposed rats had significantly more oxidative DNA damage and cellular damage markers compared to unexposed rats, with the damage increasing over time. This suggests that long-term exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields may cause cumulative genetic damage at the cellular level.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to the growing body of research showing that extremely low frequency magnetic fields can cause oxidative DNA damage. The exposure level of 0.97 mT is considerably higher than typical household exposures (which range from 0.01 to 0.2 mT near appliances), but falls within levels you might encounter very close to power lines or electrical equipment. What makes this research particularly significant is the time-dependent effect - the DNA damage increased with longer exposure periods, suggesting cumulative harm rather than temporary cellular stress. The science demonstrates that ELF magnetic fields can trigger oxidative stress pathways that damage genetic material, the same mechanisms linked to aging and disease development. While we need more research to fully understand the health implications, this study reinforces why minimizing unnecessary EMF exposure makes biological sense.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.97 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 50 and 100 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.97 mG for magnetic fields:
- 48.5Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 9.7Kx 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
To sudy the oxidative DNA damage in rats exposed to extremely low frequency electro magnetic fields.
We examined the effects of extremely low frequency electro magnetic field (ELF-EMF) (50 Hz, 0.97 mT)...
Our results showed that the exposure to ELF-EMF induced oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation ...
Our data may have important implications for the long-term exposure to ELF-EMF which may cause oxidative DNA damage.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2005_oxidative_dna_damage_in_485,
author = {Yokus B and Cakir DU and Akdag MZ and Sert C and Mete N},
title = {Oxidative DNA damage in rats exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields.},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1080/10715760500043603},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10715760500043603},
}