Alteration of Nitric Oxide Production in Rats Exposed to a Prolonged, Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Field
Akdag MZ, Bilgin MH, Dasdag S, Tumer C · 2007
View Original AbstractChronic magnetic field exposure at 'safe' regulatory levels significantly reduced nitric oxide production in rats, potentially affecting cardiovascular and immune function.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (the type produced by power lines and household wiring) for 2 hours daily over 10 months. They found that this exposure significantly reduced nitric oxide levels in the blood, a molecule essential for healthy blood vessel function and immune response. The magnetic field strengths tested were within current safety limits set by international guidelines.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning biological effect from long-term exposure to magnetic fields at levels considered 'safe' by current standards. Nitric oxide plays crucial roles in cardiovascular health, immune function, and cellular communication throughout your body. The fact that exposure levels of 100 and 500 microtesla - comparable to what you might encounter near electrical panels or high-current wiring - produced measurable changes after chronic exposure raises important questions about our current safety guidelines. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates biological effects occurring within established exposure limits, suggesting these limits may not adequately protect public health during prolonged exposure scenarios.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.1 and 0.5 mG
- Source/Device
- ELF-MF
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/day for 10 months
Exposure Context
This study used 0.1 and 0.5 mG for magnetic fields:
- 5Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 1Kx 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 purpose of this study is to investigate the possible effect of an extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on nitric oxide (NO) level.
In this study, 27 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The rats were divided into three groups: two e...
A significant reduction was observed in nitrite levels among the first and second experimental group...
These results suggest that prolonged ELF-MF exposure at intensities of exposure limits, determined by ICNIRP for public and occupational, may reduce NO production probably affected by NO generation pathways.
Show BibTeX
@article{mz_2007_alteration_of_nitric_oxide_314,
author = {Akdag MZ and Bilgin MH and Dasdag S and Tumer C},
title = {Alteration of Nitric Oxide Production in Rats Exposed to a Prolonged, Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Field},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1080/15368370701357866},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15368370701357866},
}