Autism-relevant social abnormalities in mice exposed perinatally to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields
Alsaeed I, Al-Somali F, Sakhnini L, Aljarallah OS, Hamdan RM, Bubishate SA, Sarfaraz ZK, Kamal A. · 2014
View Original AbstractMale mice exposed to 50 Hz magnetic fields during brain development showed autism-like social deficits, suggesting household EMF exposure may affect neurodevelopment.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant mice and their newborn pups to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as household electrical systems) during critical developmental periods. The exposed male mice later showed autism-like behaviors, including reduced social interaction and less interest in exploring new social situations, while their movement, coordination, and other basic functions remained normal. This suggests that magnetic field exposure during early brain development might contribute to autism spectrum disorders.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing concerns about EMF exposure during critical developmental windows. The 50 Hz frequency used matches exactly what's generated by household electrical systems, power lines, and common appliances. What makes this research particularly significant is the timing of exposure during late pregnancy and early postnatal development, when the brain is rapidly forming crucial neural connections. The fact that exposed mice showed specific autism-like social deficits while maintaining normal motor and sensory functions suggests targeted effects on developing brain circuits responsible for social behavior. While this is animal research and we need human studies for definitive conclusions, the findings align with epidemiological studies showing increased autism rates near power lines and in areas with higher EMF exposure.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- during the last week of gestation and during the first week after birth
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
In this study we examined the effects of perinatal exposure to ELF EMF on some ASD-relevant behavioral parameters in mice.
The EMF was delivered via a Helmholtz coil pair. Male BALB/C mice were used and divided into exposed...
The exposed mice demonstrated a lack of normal sociability and preference for social novelty while m...
We concluded that these results are supportive of the hypothesis of a causal link between exposure to ELF–EMF and ASD; however, replications of the study with further tests are recommended.
Show BibTeX
@article{i_2014_autismrelevant_social_abnormalities_in_218,
author = {Alsaeed I and Al-Somali F and Sakhnini L and Aljarallah OS and Hamdan RM and Bubishate SA and Sarfaraz ZK and Kamal A.},
title = {Autism-relevant social abnormalities in mice exposed perinatally to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields},
year = {2014},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736574814000926},
}