Nonlinear EEG activation evoked by low-strength low-frequency magnetic fields.
Carrubba S, Frilot C, Chesson AL, Marino AA. · 2007
View Original AbstractHuman brains measurably respond to brief magnetic field exposures at household appliance levels, suggesting unexpected neurological sensitivity to everyday EMF.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed eight people to weak 60 Hz magnetic fields from power lines for two seconds and measured brain activity. The brain consistently responded to these brief exposures in complex ways that standard tests couldn't detect, suggesting humans may be more sensitive to electromagnetic fields than previously recognized.
Why This Matters
This study demonstrates something remarkable: human brains respond measurably to magnetic fields at just 1 gauss - a level you'd encounter near common household appliances or power lines. What makes this research particularly significant is that the brain responses were nonlinear, meaning they don't follow simple cause-and-effect patterns. This nonlinearity suggests our nervous systems may be more vulnerable to EMF disruption than previously understood, since small exposures could potentially trigger disproportionate biological responses. The researchers' observation that humans may retain 'evolutionarily conditioned structures' for field detection raises important questions about whether our ancient biology is equipped to handle the constant electromagnetic environment we've created with modern technology.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.1 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 s and a 5 s interval
Exposure Context
This study used 0.1 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
We tested the hypothesis that brain potentials evoked by the onset of a weak, low-frequency magnetic field were nonlinearly related to the stimulus.
A field of 1 G, 60 Hz was applied for 2 s, with a 5 s inter-stimulus period, and brain potentials we...
All MEPs exhibited the expected latency but differed in dynamical characteristics, indicating that t...
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2007_nonlinear_eeg_activation_evoked_226,
author = {Carrubba S and Frilot C and Chesson AL and Marino AA. },
title = {Nonlinear EEG activation evoked by low-strength low-frequency magnetic fields.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394007002169},
}