Stimulation of phagocytosis and free radical production in murine macrophages by 50 Hz electromagnetic fields.
Simkó M, Droste S, Kriehuber R, Weiss DG · 2001
View Original AbstractPower frequency magnetic fields activated immune cells and increased free radical production in just 45 minutes at levels comparable to household electrical environments.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages from mouse bone marrow to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) for 45 minutes. They found that these fields significantly increased the cells' ability to engulf foreign particles by 36% and boosted production of free radicals. This suggests that even short exposures to power frequency magnetic fields can activate immune system responses at the cellular level.
Why This Matters
This study demonstrates that power frequency magnetic fields can directly stimulate immune cell activity, even at relatively modest field strengths of 0.5 to 1.5 milliTesla. While some might view increased immune activity as beneficial, the reality is more complex. Chronic overstimulation of immune responses can contribute to inflammation and autoimmune conditions. The fact that these effects occurred after just 45 minutes of exposure is particularly noteworthy, given that many people spend hours daily in environments with similar magnetic field levels from electrical wiring, appliances, and power lines. What this means for you is that your immune system may be responding to EMF exposures in ways we're only beginning to understand. This research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that EMFs can trigger biological responses at exposure levels once considered harmless by regulatory agencies.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.5 – 1.5 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 45 min
Exposure Context
This study used 0.5 – 1.5 mG for magnetic fields:
- 25Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 5Kx 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
Effects of 50 Hz electromagnetic fields on phagocytosis and free radical production were examined in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages.
Macrophages were in vitro exposed to electromagnetic fields using different magnetic field densities...
Short-time exposure (45 min) to electromagnetic fields resulted in significantly increased phagocyti...
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2001_stimulation_of_phagocytosis_and_463,
author = {Simkó M and Droste S and Kriehuber R and Weiss DG},
title = {Stimulation of phagocytosis and free radical production in murine macrophages by 50 Hz electromagnetic fields.},
year = {2001},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0171933504701727},
}