Effects of the static and ELF magnetic fields on the neuronal population activity in Morimus funereus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) antennal lobe revealed by wavelet analysis.
Spasić S, Kesić S, Stojadinović G, Petković B, Todorović D. · 2014
View Original AbstractBrief exposure to power-line frequency magnetic fields caused irreversible brain wave changes in this study, even at moderate exposure levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed longhorn beetles to 50 Hz magnetic fields at 2 milliTesla (similar to levels near power lines) for 5 minutes and measured changes in brain activity patterns. They found that the magnetic field exposure caused lasting changes to the beetles' brain wave patterns that persisted even after the exposure ended. This demonstrates that even brief exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields can produce measurable, persistent effects on nervous system function.
Why This Matters
This study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that ELF magnetic fields can directly affect nervous system function, even at relatively low exposure levels. The 2 milliTesla field strength used here is comparable to what you might encounter standing directly under high-voltage power lines or very close to electrical appliances. What makes this research particularly significant is that the brain changes were irreversible within the timeframe studied, suggesting that even brief ELF exposures can have lasting neurological consequences. While this was conducted on beetles rather than humans, the fundamental mechanisms of neural electrical activity are remarkably similar across species. The reality is that our understanding of how ELF fields affect brain function continues to evolve, and studies like this underscore why precautionary approaches to EMF exposure make scientific sense.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 2 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 5 min
Exposure Context
This study used 2 mG for magnetic fields:
- 100Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 20Kx 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
To study the influence of a static magnetic field (SMF, 2 mT) and extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF MF, 50 Hz, 2 mT) on the neuronal population activity.
The experiments were performed on adult longhorn beetles Morimus funereus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)...
Based on a wavelet analysis of the local field potentials (LFPs), our study showed for the first tim...
This study has proved the wavelet transform as a valuable tool for measuring the effects of SMF and ELF MF on the neuronal population activity in M. funereus antennal lobe.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2014_effects_of_the_static_716,
author = {Spasić S and Kesić S and Stojadinović G and Petković B and Todorović D.},
title = {Effects of the static and ELF magnetic fields on the neuronal population activity in Morimus funereus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) antennal lobe revealed by wavelet analysis.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1095643314002499},
}