Subacute exposure to 50-Hz electromagnetic fields affect prenatal and neonatal mice’s motor coordination.
Sakhnini L, Al Ali H, Al Qassab N, Al Arab E, Kamal A. · 2012
View Original AbstractPrenatal exposure to power-frequency electromagnetic fields impaired motor learning in mice, suggesting developing brains are vulnerable to EMF during pregnancy.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant mice to power line frequency electromagnetic fields for seven days, then tested their babies' motor skills. Mice exposed in the womb showed significant learning deficits compared to unexposed mice, suggesting developing brains are particularly vulnerable to EMF during pregnancy.
Why This Matters
This research adds to growing evidence that electromagnetic fields can interfere with brain development during the most vulnerable stages of life. The 50 Hz frequency used in this study is identical to the power grid frequency in most of the world, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure from power lines, household wiring, and electrical appliances. What makes this study particularly concerning is that it demonstrates prenatal EMF exposure can cause lasting neurological effects that persist after birth. The science demonstrates that developing nervous systems are more susceptible to environmental toxins than mature ones, and this study suggests EMFs should be considered among those potential developmental hazards. While we can't directly extrapolate from mice to humans, the biological mechanisms underlying brain development are remarkably similar across mammalian species, giving these findings significant relevance for human health.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 7 days
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
In this study, we investigate the possible effect of ELF-EMFs on motor performance in mice (prenatal and neonatal exposed mice).
The mice performance is evaluated after 5 days of subacute exposure. Immature mice have been chosen ...
Results from the rotarod experiments demonstrated a pronounced deficit in the learning abilities of ...
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2012_subacute_exposure_to_50hz_292,
author = {Sakhnini L and Al Ali H and Al Qassab N and Al Arab E and Kamal A. },
title = {Subacute exposure to 50-Hz electromagnetic fields affect prenatal and neonatal mice’s motor coordination.},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1063/1.3672285},
url = {https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.3672285},
}