Oxidative effects of nanosecond pulsed electric field exposure in cells and cell-free media.
Pakhomova ON, Khorokhorina VA, Bowman AM, Rodaitė-Riševičienė R, Saulis G, Xiao S, Pakhomov AG · 2012
View Original AbstractNanosecond electric pulses create harmful reactive oxygen species in cells, revealing oxidative stress as a key mechanism of electromagnetic field damage.
Plain English Summary
Scientists exposed cells to extremely brief electrical pulses and found they create harmful reactive oxygen species that damage cells. These pulses generate oxidative stress both inside cells and in surrounding fluid, with damage increasing based on pulse number, suggesting potential cellular harm beyond temporary membrane effects.
Why This Matters
This research reveals a critical mechanism by which pulsed electric fields can damage biological systems beyond their well-known ability to temporarily open cell membranes. The generation of reactive oxygen species represents a fundamental pathway to cellular harm, as oxidative stress is linked to accelerated aging, DNA damage, and numerous disease processes. While this study used laboratory-level exposures far exceeding typical environmental levels, it demonstrates that electromagnetic fields can trigger oxidative damage through direct electrochemical processes. The finding that different cell types showed varying sensitivity suggests some people may be more vulnerable to these effects than others. What this means for you is that the biological impact of electromagnetic exposures extends beyond simple heating effects, involving complex cellular chemistry that we're only beginning to understand.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 100000 -1300000 V/m
- Source/Device
- 300-ns PEF
Exposure Context
This study used 100000 -1300000 V/m for electric fields:
- 333.3Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
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.
Study Details
We hypothesized that oxidative effects of nsPEF could be a separate primary mechanism responsible for bioeffects.
ROS production in cultured cells and media exposed to 300-ns PEF (1–13 kV/cm) was assessed by oxidat...
When a suspension of H2DCF-loaded cells was subjected to nsPEF, the yield of fluorescent 2′,7′-dichl...
Show BibTeX
@article{on_2012_oxidative_effects_of_nanosecond_436,
author = {Pakhomova ON and Khorokhorina VA and Bowman AM and Rodaitė-Riševičienė R and Saulis G and Xiao S and Pakhomov AG},
title = {Oxidative effects of nanosecond pulsed electric field exposure in cells and cell-free media.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003986112003037},
}