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Oxidative Stress

Effects of continuous and intermittent magnetic fields on oxidative parameters in vivo.

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Coşkun S, Balabanli B, Canseven A, Seyhan N. · 2009

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Magnetic field exposure at 1.5 mT caused oxidative damage in guinea pig tissues within just 4 days, showing biological effects at levels found near power lines.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed guinea pigs to 50 Hz magnetic fields (like power lines) for four hours daily over four days. Both continuous and intermittent exposure increased cellular damage in blood, liver, and brain tissue, showing that even brief magnetic field exposure can trigger harmful stress responses throughout the body.

Why This Matters

This study adds important evidence to our understanding of how extremely low frequency magnetic fields affect cellular health through oxidative stress pathways. The 1.5 mT exposure level used here is significantly higher than typical household exposures (which range from 0.01 to 0.2 mT near common appliances), but it's within the range you might encounter near high-voltage power lines or certain industrial equipment. What makes this research particularly valuable is its demonstration that different exposure patterns (continuous versus intermittent) produce distinct biological effects, and that various tissues respond differently to the same magnetic field exposure. The finding that both exposure types increased lipid peroxidation in liver tissue suggests that magnetic fields can trigger oxidative damage even with relatively short-term exposure. This research supports the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure can disrupt normal cellular processes through oxidative stress mechanisms, reinforcing the importance of the precautionary principle when it comes to EMF exposure.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
1.5 mG
Source/Device
50 Hz
Exposure Duration
4 h/day for 4 days

Exposure Context

This study used 1.5 mG for magnetic fields:

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 Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 1.5 mGExtreme Concern5 mGFCC Limit2,000 mGEffects observed in the Severe Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 1,333x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

To study the effects of continuous and Intermittent Magnetic Fields on Oxidative Parameters In vivo.

Continuous and intermittent 50 Hz, 1.5 mT magnetic field with the exposure period of 4 h/day for 4 d...

While intermittent magnetic field was effective on plasma lipid peroxidation, continuous magnetic fi...

Cite This Study
Coşkun S, Balabanli B, Canseven A, Seyhan N. (2009). Effects of continuous and intermittent magnetic fields on oxidative parameters in vivo. Neurochem Res. 34(2):238-243, 2009.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2009_effects_of_continuous_and_341,
  author = {Coşkun S and Balabanli B and Canseven A and Seyhan N.},
  title = {Effects of continuous and intermittent magnetic fields on oxidative parameters in vivo.},
  year = {2009},
  doi = {10.1007/s11064-008-9760-3},
  url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11064-008-9760-3},
}
DOI: 10.1007/s11064-008-9760-3

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed guinea pigs to 50 Hz magnetic fields (like power lines) for four hours daily over four days. Both continuous and intermittent exposure increased cellular damage in blood, liver, and brain tissue, showing that even brief magnetic field exposure can trigger harmful stress responses throughout the body.