Exposure to AC and DC magnetic fields induces changes in 5-HT1B receptor binding parameters in rat brain membranes.
Espinosa JM, Liberti M, Lagroye I, Veyret B. · 2006
View Original AbstractMagnetic fields at power line levels directly altered brain serotonin receptors in one hour, suggesting neurochemical effects below current safety limits.
Plain English Summary
Scientists exposed rat brain tissue to magnetic fields from power lines and found significant changes in serotonin receptors that control mood and sleep. One hour of exposure at levels found near electrical equipment altered brain chemistry, demonstrating that common magnetic field exposure can directly affect how brain cells function.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that extremely low frequency magnetic fields can directly alter brain neurochemistry, specifically affecting serotonin receptors that play crucial roles in mood regulation, sleep cycles, and cognitive function. The 1.1 milliTesla exposure level used here is within the range you might encounter near high-voltage power lines or certain electrical equipment, though significantly higher than typical household exposures. What makes this research particularly significant is that it successfully replicated earlier findings and demonstrated effects in isolated brain tissue, ruling out indirect biological mechanisms. The science demonstrates that magnetic fields don't need to heat tissue or cause obvious damage to produce measurable biological effects. This adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that our current safety standards, which focus primarily on heating effects, may not adequately protect against subtler but potentially important neurobiological impacts.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1.1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 1-hour
Exposure Context
This study used 1.1 mG for magnetic fields:
- 55Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 11Kx 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 binding properties of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) serotonin 5-HT1B receptor were studied under exposure to AC (50 and 400 Hz) and DC magnetic fields (MF) in rat brain membranes.
This was an attempt at replicating the positive findings of Massot et al.
In saturation experiments using [3H]5-HT, 1-h exposures at 1.1 mT(rms) 50 Hz caused statistically si...
These findings constitute one of the few documented pieces of evidence for cell-free effects of DC and extremely low frequency (ELF) AC MFs in the mT range.
Show BibTeX
@article{jm_2006_exposure_to_ac_and_964,
author = {Espinosa JM and Liberti M and Lagroye I and Veyret B.},
title = {Exposure to AC and DC magnetic fields induces changes in 5-HT1B receptor binding parameters in rat brain membranes.},
year = {2006},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16607621/},
}