The effect of 50 Hz magnetic field of different shape on oxygen metabolism in blood platelets: in vitro studies.
Henrykowska G, Jankowski W, Pacholski K, Lewicka M, Smigielski J, Dziedziczak-Buczyńska M, Buczyński A. · 2009
View Original AbstractPower-frequency magnetic fields trigger oxidative stress in human blood cells within 15 minutes, disrupting cellular defenses.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human blood platelets to power line frequency magnetic fields for 15 minutes. The exposure increased cellular damage markers and free radicals while reducing natural antioxidant defenses, suggesting that brief magnetic field exposure can disrupt normal cell function and potentially harm health.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that power-frequency magnetic fields can trigger oxidative stress in human blood cells, which is significant because oxidative stress is linked to numerous health conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and premature aging. The 10 mT exposure level used here is quite high compared to typical household exposures (which range from 0.01 to 1 mT), but the fact that these effects occurred in just 15 minutes suggests that even lower, chronic exposures could accumulate similar damage over time. What makes this research particularly compelling is that it examined actual human cells rather than animal models, and the researchers found consistent effects regardless of the magnetic field's waveform shape. The science demonstrates that our cells' natural defense systems become compromised when exposed to these fields, which helps explain the growing body of epidemiological evidence linking EMF exposure to various health problems.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 10 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 min
Exposure Context
This study used 10 mG for magnetic fields:
- 500Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 100Kx 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 was to assess the influence that the shape of low frequency magnetic field may have on catalase and superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde concentration and free radicals generation in human blood platelets.
The suspension of human blood platelets was exposed for 15 min to 50 Hz magnetic field of different ...
The determinations of free radicals, malondialdehyde and catalase showed increased values compared w...
The findings indicate that the oxidative stress resulting from exposure to 50 Hz magnetic field of 10 mT induction may produce a number of adverse effects within the cell and thus may lead to systemic disturbances in the human body.
Show BibTeX
@article{g_2009_the_effect_of_50_385,
author = {Henrykowska G and Jankowski W and Pacholski K and Lewicka M and Smigielski J and Dziedziczak-Buczyńska M and Buczyński A.},
title = {The effect of 50 Hz magnetic field of different shape on oxygen metabolism in blood platelets: in vitro studies.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19887367/},
}