Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field on oxidative balance in brain of rats.
Ciejka E, Kleniewska P, Skibska B, Goraca A. · 2011
View Original AbstractBrief daily magnetic field exposure damages brain cells, while longer exposure triggers protective adaptation mechanisms.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to magnetic fields similar to therapeutic devices for 30 or 60 minutes daily. Thirty minutes caused brain cell damage, but sixty minutes activated protective responses. This shows exposure duration determines whether magnetic fields harm or help the brain adapt.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a crucial dose-response relationship that challenges simple assumptions about magnetic field safety. The finding that shorter exposures caused brain damage while longer ones triggered adaptation suggests our bodies have complex protective mechanisms that only activate under sustained exposure. What makes this particularly relevant is the exposure level used: 7 milliTesla is thousands of times stronger than typical household magnetic fields but comparable to therapeutic magnetic devices and some occupational exposures. The science demonstrates that even brief daily exposures can generate harmful free radicals in brain tissue, raising important questions about cumulative effects from our increasingly electromagnetic environment. The reality is that most people experience multiple short-duration magnetic field exposures throughout the day rather than the sustained exposures that appeared protective in this study.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 7 mG
- Source/Device
- 40 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 30 min/day, 10 days or 60 min/day, 10 days
Exposure Context
This study used 7 mG for magnetic fields:
- 350Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 70Kx 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 the study is to assess the effect of ELF-MF parameters most frequently used in magnetotherapy on reactive oxygen species generation (ROS) in brain tissue of experimental animals depending on the time of exposure to this field.
The research material included adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 3-4 months. The animals were div...
ELF-MF parameters of 7 mT, 40 Hz, 30 min/day for 10 days caused a significant increase in lipid pero...
The study has shown that ELF-MF applied for 30 min/day for 10 days can affect free radical generation in the brain. Prolongation of the exposure to ELF-MF (60/min/day) caused adaptation to this field. The effect of ELF-MF irradiation on oxidative stress parameters depends on the time of animal exposure to magnetic field.
Show BibTeX
@article{e_2011_effects_of_extremely_low_619,
author = {Ciejka E and Kleniewska P and Skibska B and Goraca A.},
title = {Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field on oxidative balance in brain of rats.},
year = {2011},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22314568/},
}