Do 100- and 500-μT ELF magnetic fields alter beta-amyloid protein, protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde in rat brains?
Akdag MZ, Dasdag S, Cakir DU, Yokus B, Kizil G, Kizil M. · 2013
View Original AbstractMagnetic fields at 'safe' regulatory limits caused oxidative stress in rat brains after chronic exposure, questioning current safety standards.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to magnetic fields at levels considered safe for humans for 10 months. The fields didn't affect Alzheimer's-related proteins but significantly increased markers of cellular damage in brain tissue, suggesting long-term exposure may harm brain cells.
Why This Matters
This study delivers a crucial reality check about magnetic field safety standards. The researchers used exposure levels of 100 and 500 microtesla - precisely the limits regulators consider safe for public and occupational exposure. Yet after 10 months of exposure, rat brains showed clear signs of oxidative stress, a process linked to aging, neurodegeneration, and various diseases. The science demonstrates that current safety standards may not adequately protect against biological harm from chronic exposure. What this means for you: the magnetic fields from power lines, electrical panels, and some household appliances can reach these levels. While this was an animal study, the consistent elevation of oxidative stress markers suggests our cells may be responding to magnetic field exposure in ways that current regulations don't account for. The reality is that safety standards often lag behind emerging science, and this research adds to growing evidence that we need a more precautionary approach to EMF exposure limits.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.1, 0.5 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/day for 10 months
Exposure Context
This study used 0.1, 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 aim of this study was to illuminate the interaction between biomolecules and ELF-MFs by investigating the effect of ELF-MFs on beta-amyloid protein (BAP), protein carbonyl (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rat brain.
For this study, 30 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, which were divided into two experimenta...
The results of this study showed that neither ELF-MFs used in this study altered BAP level significa...
In conclusion, both PC and MDA levels were altered by long-term exposure to either 100 or 500 μT ELF-MF. However, many further and more comprehensive studies will be required to elucidate the interaction mechanisms between ELF-MFs exposure and living organisms.
Show BibTeX
@article{mz_2013_do_100_and_500t_216,
author = {Akdag MZ and Dasdag S and Cakir DU and Yokus B and Kizil G and Kizil M.},
title = {Do 100- and 500-μT ELF magnetic fields alter beta-amyloid protein, protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde in rat brains? },
year = {2013},
doi = {10.3109/15368378.2012.721848},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15368378.2012.721848},
}