Effects of ELF-EMF on brain proteins in mice.
Strasák L, Bártová E, Krejci J, Fojt L, Vetterl V. · 2009
View Original AbstractFour days of power-frequency magnetic field exposure significantly altered brain proteins in mice, suggesting potential neurological impacts.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as electrical power lines) for 4 days and measured changes in brain proteins. They found that exposure significantly decreased levels of c-Jun, a protein crucial for brain cell communication and development. This suggests that even short-term exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields can alter important brain proteins.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing evidence that extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields can affect brain function at the molecular level. The 2 mT exposure used here is quite high compared to typical household levels (which range from 0.01 to 1 mT near appliances), but it's within ranges that could occur near high-voltage power lines or certain industrial equipment. What makes this research particularly significant is that c-Jun protein plays essential roles in brain development, memory formation, and cellular stress responses. The fact that researchers observed measurable changes in just 4 days suggests the brain may be more sensitive to magnetic field exposure than previously understood. While we need more research to understand the long-term implications, this study reinforces the importance of the precautionary principle when it comes to EMF exposure, especially for developing brains.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 2 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 4 days
Exposure Context
This study used 2 mG for magnetic fields:
- 100Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 20Kx 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
Effect of electromagnetic low frequency fields was studied on mice.
We analyzed level of protein in brain of mouse. The levels of c-Jun and c-Fos in brains were measure...
The expression of c-Fos was not affected by magnetic field on the other hand the expression of c-Jun...
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2009_effects_of_elfemf_on_303,
author = {Strasák L and Bártová E and Krejci J and Fojt L and Vetterl V. },
title = {Effects of ELF-EMF on brain proteins in mice.},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1080/15368370802711870},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15368370802711870},
}