Extremely low frequency magnetic fields cause oxidative DNA damage in rats
Yokus B, Akdag MZ, Dasdag S, Cakir DU, Kizil M · 2008
View Original AbstractLong-term exposure to power line frequency magnetic fields caused DNA damage in rats at levels commonly found near electrical infrastructure.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to power line frequency magnetic fields for 10 months and found DNA damage in their blood cells. The exposure caused oxidative damage that creates genetic mutations potentially leading to cancer, providing first direct evidence of cellular harm.
Why This Matters
This research breaks important new ground by demonstrating that power frequency magnetic fields can cause specific, measurable DNA damage in living mammals. The exposure levels used (100-500 microtesla) are well within the range you might encounter near power lines, electrical panels, or some household appliances, making these findings directly relevant to human health concerns. What makes this study particularly significant is that it identified the exact molecular mechanisms of DNA damage, including oxidative modifications that are known precursors to cancer. The science demonstrates that chronic EMF exposure doesn't just correlate with health problems - it can actually damage the genetic material in our cells. While this was an animal study, the biological processes involved are fundamentally the same in humans, suggesting we may be facing similar risks from our increasingly electrified environment.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.1 and 0.5 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 hours/day during 10 months
Exposure Context
This study used 0.1 and 0.5 mG for magnetic fields:
- 5Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 1Kx 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 detect the genotoxic effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) -magnetic fields (MF) on oxidative DNA base modifications [8-hydroxyguanine (8-OH-Gua), 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5-formamidopyrimidine (FapyGua) and 4,6-diamino-5-formamidopyrimidine (FapyAde)] in rat leucocytes, measured following exposure to ELF-MF.
After exposure to ELF-MF (50 Hz, 100 and 500 μT, for 2 hours/day during 10 months), DNA was extracte...
Levels of FapyAde, FapyGua and 8OHdG in DNA were increased by both 100 μT and 500 μT ELF-MF as compa...
This is the first study to report that ELF-MF exposure generates oxidatively induced DNA base modifications which are mutagenic in mammalian cells, such as FapyGua, FapyAde and 8-OH-Gua, in vivo. This may explain previous studies showing DNA damage and genomic instability. These findings support the hypothesis that chronic exposure to 50-Hz MF may be potentially genotoxic. However, the intensity of ELF-MF has an important influence on the extent of DNA damage.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2008_extremely_low_frequency_magnetic_486,
author = {Yokus B and Akdag MZ and Dasdag S and Cakir DU and Kizil M},
title = {Extremely low frequency magnetic fields cause oxidative DNA damage in rats},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1080/09553000802348203},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09553000802348203},
}