Fifty-hertz magnetic fields induce free radical formation in mouse bone marrow-derived promonocytes and macrophages.
Rollwitz J, Lupke M, Simkó M · 2004
View Original AbstractPower-frequency magnetic fields directly trigger free radical production in immune cells, providing a biological mechanism for potential health effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mouse immune cells to 50 Hz magnetic fields from power lines and found a 24-33% increase in free radical production. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage cells and cause inflammation, suggesting household electricity frequencies may trigger harmful cellular responses.
Why This Matters
This research provides direct evidence that extremely low frequency magnetic fields can trigger biological responses at the cellular level, specifically in immune cells that play crucial roles in inflammation and disease defense. The 1 mT exposure level used in this study is quite high compared to typical household exposures (which range from 0.01 to 0.2 mT near appliances), but it's within the range that workers in certain industrial settings might encounter. What makes this study particularly significant is that it identifies the specific biochemical pathway through which magnetic fields trigger free radical production, moving beyond simple correlation to demonstrate a plausible biological mechanism. The finding that magnetic fields can activate immune cells and increase oxidative stress adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that EMF exposure may contribute to chronic inflammation and cellular damage over time.
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
To study the effects of 50 Hz magnetic field on free radical production in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and monocytes
Our findings show a significant increase of free radical production after exposure to 50 Hz electrom...
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2004_fiftyhertz_magnetic_fields_induce_452,
author = {Rollwitz J and Lupke M and Simkó M},
title = {Fifty-hertz magnetic fields induce free radical formation in mouse bone marrow-derived promonocytes and macrophages.},
year = {2004},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304416504001692},
}