Behavioral testing of mice exposed to intermediate frequency magnetic fields indicates mild memory impairment.
Kumari K, Koivisto H, Viluksela M, Paldanius KMA, Marttinen M, Hiltunen M, Naarala J, Tanila H, Juutilainen J. · 2017
View Original AbstractMagnetic fields from induction cooktops and store security systems may impair memory and increase brain inflammation, this study suggests.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to intermediate frequency magnetic fields (7.5 kHz) for 5 weeks and tested their learning and memory abilities. Mice exposed to higher field levels showed impaired memory performance and increased brain inflammation markers. This suggests that magnetic fields from common sources like induction cooktops and security systems may affect cognitive function.
Why This Matters
This study addresses a critical gap in EMF research by examining intermediate frequencies that sit between the extensively studied extremely low frequency (ELF) and radiofrequency ranges. The 7.5 kHz frequency tested here is directly relevant to everyday exposures from induction cooking systems and electronic article surveillance gates in stores. What makes this research particularly significant is that it found measurable cognitive effects at magnetic field levels of 120 microtesla, which can occur near these common devices. The fact that researchers observed both behavioral changes and biological markers of brain inflammation suggests a plausible mechanism for how these fields might affect human cognition. While this is animal research, the findings add to growing evidence that EMF exposure can influence brain function, and they highlight an understudied frequency range that deserves more attention given our increasing exposure to these technologies.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.012, 0.12 mG
- Source/Device
- 7.5 kHz
- Exposure Duration
- 5 weeks.
Exposure Context
This study used 0.012, 0.12 mG for magnetic fields:
- 600x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 120x 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 this study is to investigate Behavioral testing of mice exposed to intermediate frequency magnetic fields indicates mild memory impairment.
The present study assessed behavioral and histopathological consequences of exposing mice to 7.5 kHz...
No effects were observed on body weight, spontaneous activity, motor coordination, level of anxiety ...
These findings suggest that 7.5 kHz MF exposure may lead to mild learning and memory impairment, possibly through an inflammatory reaction in the hippocampus.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2017_behavioral_testing_of_mice_1123,
author = {Kumari K and Koivisto H and Viluksela M and Paldanius KMA and Marttinen M and Hiltunen M and Naarala J and Tanila H and Juutilainen J.},
title = {Behavioral testing of mice exposed to intermediate frequency magnetic fields indicates mild memory impairment.},
year = {2017},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29206232/},
}