Nonlinear EEG activation evoked by low-strength low-frequency magnetic fields.
Carrubba S, Frilot C, Chesson AL, Marino AA. · 2007
View Original AbstractHuman brains can detect weak magnetic fields at levels found near common appliances, revealing an evolutionary vulnerability to modern EMF.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed eight people to weak 60 Hz magnetic fields (1 gauss) for 2 seconds and measured their brain activity using specialized electrodes. They discovered that human brains can detect these low-level magnetic fields and respond in complex, nonlinear ways that standard testing methods miss. This suggests humans may have an evolutionary magnetic sensing ability that makes us vulnerable to artificial electromagnetic fields in our environment.
Why This Matters
This research provides compelling evidence that humans possess a magnetic sense we're only beginning to understand. The 1 gauss exposure used here is remarkably weak - about 10 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field but comparable to what you might encounter near household appliances or power lines. What makes this study particularly significant is that it used advanced nonlinear analysis techniques that revealed brain responses invisible to conventional testing methods. The researchers' conclusion is sobering: evolutionary structures that helped our ancestors navigate using Earth's magnetic field may now make us susceptible to the artificial electromagnetic fields that surround us daily. This adds another layer to our understanding of how EMF exposure affects the nervous system, suggesting our brains are far more sensitive to magnetic fields than previously recognized.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.1 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2s, with a 5s inter-stimulus period
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 1G, 60 Hz was applied for 2s, with a 5s inter-stimulus period, and brain potentials were ...
Using recurrence analysis, magnetosensory evoked potentials (MEPs) were detected in each subject in ...
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2007_nonlinear_eeg_activation_evoked_610,
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://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17350168/},
}