The effect of weak 50 Hz magnetic fields on the number of free oxygen radicals in rat lymphocytes in vitro
Zmyslony M, Rajkowska E, Mamrot P, Politanski P, Jajte J · 2004
View Original AbstractWeak 50 Hz magnetic fields at 40 microtesla altered cellular chemistry in immune cells, suggesting biological effects at everyday exposure levels.
Plain English Summary
Polish researchers exposed rat immune cells to weak magnetic fields similar to those near power lines. When aligned with Earth's magnetic field, 40 microtesla exposure significantly reduced free radicals - harmful molecules that damage cells. This shows even very weak power-frequency fields can alter basic cellular processes.
Why This Matters
This study provides important evidence that extremely low-frequency magnetic fields can influence cellular chemistry at levels well below current safety guidelines. The 40 microtesla exposure that showed effects is roughly what you'd experience standing directly under high-voltage power lines, but it's also achievable near some household appliances or electrical panels. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates a plausible biological mechanism - the radical pair mechanism - by which weak magnetic fields could affect living cells. The fact that the effect only occurred when the artificial field was aligned with Earth's magnetic field suggests these interactions are more complex than previously understood. While reduced free radicals might sound beneficial, any disruption to normal cellular processes raises questions about long-term health implications that deserve further investigation.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.02, 0.04, 0.2 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
Exposure Context
This study used 0.02, 0.04, 0.2 mG for magnetic fields:
- 1,000x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 200x 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 the work was verification of the hypothesis that weak power frequency (50 Hz) magnetic fields (MF) affected the number of free oxygen radicals in living biological cells and that these changes could be qualitatively explained by the radical pair mechanism.
The experiments were performed on rat lymphocytes. One-hour exposure to 50 Hz MF at 20, 40, or 200 μ...
Only in the lymphocytes exposed at 40 μT MF directed along the Earth's static MF there was a decreas...
Our observation seems to confirm the hypothesis that low level power frequency MF affects oxidative processes which occur in living biological cells and that this effect can be explained by the radical pair mechanism.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2004_the_effect_of_weak_492,
author = {Zmyslony M and Rajkowska E and Mamrot P and Politanski P and Jajte J},
title = {The effect of weak 50 Hz magnetic fields on the number of free oxygen radicals in rat lymphocytes in vitro},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1002/bem.20045},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20045},
}