Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field (ELF-MF) Exposure Sensitizes SH-SY5Y Cells to the Pro-Parkinson's Disease Toxin MPP.
Benassi B, Filomeni G, Montagna C, Merla C, Lopresto V, Pinto R, Marino C, Consales C. · 2015
View Original AbstractMagnetic field exposure made brain cells dramatically more vulnerable to Parkinson's toxins, suggesting EMFs may amplify other environmental health risks.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human brain cells to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) and found that while the fields didn't harm the cells directly, they made the cells much more vulnerable to a chemical toxin that causes Parkinson's disease-like damage. The magnetic field exposure disrupted the cells' natural antioxidant defenses, causing normally survivable toxin levels to trigger cell death through oxidative stress.
Why This Matters
This research reveals a concerning mechanism by which everyday magnetic field exposure from power lines and electrical devices may contribute to neurodegenerative disease risk. The 1 mT exposure level used here is higher than typical household levels (usually 0.01-0.2 mT near appliances) but represents occupational exposures or living very close to power lines. What makes this study particularly significant is that it demonstrates how EMF exposure can act as a 'sensitizer' rather than a direct toxin. The cells appeared healthy under magnetic field exposure alone, but their compromised antioxidant systems left them defenseless against environmental toxins. This suggests that EMF exposure may not cause immediate observable harm, but could be setting the stage for problems when combined with other environmental stressors. The reality is that we're exposed to both magnetic fields and various chemical toxins daily, making this synergistic effect highly relevant to real-world health outcomes.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
Exposure Context
This study used 1 mG for magnetic fields:
- 50Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 10Kx 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
The aim of this study is to observe Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field (ELF-MF) Exposure Sensitizes SH-SY5Y Cells to the Pro-Parkinson’s Disease Toxin MPP+
we set up a generator of ELF-MF able to stably and homogeneously reproduce environmental prolonged e...
Results obtained indicate that ELF-MF exposure alters cell response of SH-SY5Y cells to MPP+. We dem...
Taken overall, our results demonstrate the redox-based molecular interaction between ELF-MF and PD neurotoxins in vitro, and open a new scenario for defining the synergy of environmental factors in PD onset.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2015_extremely_low_frequency_magnetic_604,
author = {Benassi B and Filomeni G and Montagna C and Merla C and Lopresto V and Pinto R and Marino C and Consales C.},
title = {Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field (ELF-MF) Exposure Sensitizes SH-SY5Y Cells to the Pro-Parkinson's Disease Toxin MPP.},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1007/s12035-015-9354-4},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-015-9354-4},
}