Long - term exposure of cockroach Blaptica dubia (Insecta: Blaberidae) nymphs to magnetic fields of different characteristics: Effects on antioxidant biomarkers and nymphal gut mass.
Todorović D, Ilijin L, Mrdaković M, Vlahović M, Filipović A, Grčić A, Perić-Mataruga V · 2019
View Original AbstractFive months of magnetic field exposure significantly reduced gut mass and disrupted cellular antioxidant defenses in cockroaches, demonstrating biological stress responses.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed cockroach nymphs to magnetic fields for 5 months and found significant biological changes, including reduced gut mass and altered antioxidant enzyme activity. The magnetic fields (both static and extremely low frequency) acted as biological stressors, disrupting the insects' cellular defense systems that protect against oxidative damage. This demonstrates that long-term magnetic field exposure can cause measurable biological stress responses in living organisms.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that magnetic fields can function as biological stressors, even in organisms far removed from humans. The 5-month exposure period is particularly significant because it demonstrates chronic effects rather than just acute responses. What makes this research especially relevant is that the extremely low frequency magnetic field exposure (50 Hz at 10 mT) is similar to the frequency of power lines and electrical systems we encounter daily, though at higher intensities. The disruption of antioxidant systems is concerning because these cellular defense mechanisms protect against oxidative stress, which is linked to aging, disease, and cellular damage. While we can't directly extrapolate from cockroaches to humans, this study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that magnetic fields can produce measurable biological effects across species.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 110 mG
- Exposure Duration
- 5 months
Exposure Context
This study used 110 mG for magnetic fields:
- 5.5Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 1.1Mx 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 main goal of this study was to analyze the long-term effects of static (SMF) and extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF MF) on nymphal gut mass and antioxidant biomarkers in this tissue of cockroach Blaptica dubia.
One-month-old nymphs were exposed to magnetic field (MF) for 5 months in three experimental groups: ...
The gut masses of the MF groups were significantly lower when compared to control. Superoxide dismut...
The applied magnetic fields could be considered a potential stressor influencing gut mass, as well as examined antioxidative biomarkers.
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2019_long_term_exposure_of_475,
author = {Todorović D and Ilijin L and Mrdaković M and Vlahović M and Filipović A and Grčić A and Perić-Mataruga V},
title = {Long - term exposure of cockroach Blaptica dubia (Insecta: Blaberidae) nymphs to magnetic fields of different characteristics: Effects on antioxidant biomarkers and nymphal gut mass.},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1080/09553002.2019.1589017},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09553002.2019.1589017},
}