High-voltage electrostatic field-induced oxidative stress: Characterization of the physiological effects in Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) across multiple generations.
Luo K, Luo C, Li G, Yao X, Gao R, Hu Z, Zhang G, Zhao H. · 2019
View Original AbstractTwenty minutes of high-voltage electric field exposure caused oxidative stress that persisted for over 20 generations in insects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed aphids to high-voltage electric fields for 20 minutes and tracked effects across 21 generations. The brief exposure caused lasting cellular damage and reduced antioxidant defenses that persisted for over 20 generations, showing electric fields can create hereditary biological effects.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that electric field exposure creates measurable biological stress that persists across generations. The electric field strengths used (200,000-400,000 volts per meter) are indeed high voltage, but the key finding is the multi-generational persistence of effects from just 20 minutes of exposure. The science demonstrates that electromagnetic fields can trigger oxidative stress - the same cellular damage linked to aging and disease in humans. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows these effects aren't limited to the directly exposed organisms but continue affecting offspring for more than 20 generations. While this study focused on insects, the biological mechanisms of oxidative stress are remarkably similar across species, suggesting these findings may have broader implications for understanding how EMF exposure affects living systems over time.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 200000 and 400000 V/m
- Exposure Duration
- 20-min
Exposure Context
This study used 200000 and 400000 V/m for electric fields:
- 666.7Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
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.
Study Details
To better understand the physiological alterations exhibited by herbivorous insects in response to changing electric environments, we determined the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes and the metabolic rate of Sitobion avenae Fabricius (Hemiptera: Aphididae) over multiple generations in response to direct and host-seed exposure to a high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) of varying strength for different durations.
Under controlled greenhouse conditions, 20-min direct exposure of S. avenae and wheat seeds to a 2- ...
Overall, these findings increase our understanding of plant–pest interactions under novel HVEF environments and provide information that can improve integrated management strategies for S. avenae.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2019_highvoltage_electrostatic_fieldinduced_oxidative_411,
author = {Luo K and Luo C and Li G and Yao X and Gao R and Hu Z and Zhang G and Zhao H.},
title = {High-voltage electrostatic field-induced oxidative stress: Characterization of the physiological effects in Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) across multiple generations.},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1002/bem.22157},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.22157},
}