Possible role of iron containing proteins in physiological responses of soybean to static magnetic field.
Shokrollahi S, Ghanati F, Sajedi RH, Sharifi M · 2018
View Original AbstractMagnetic fields altered iron-containing proteins in plants at 20-30 mT, revealing how EMF may influence biological systems through iron interactions.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed soybean plants to magnetic fields for five hours daily over five days. The magnetic fields altered iron-containing proteins that help plants manage cellular stress, with different field strengths producing opposite effects. This demonstrates how magnetic fields can influence biological processes in living organisms.
Why This Matters
While this study examined plants rather than humans, it provides important insights into how magnetic fields interact with biological systems at the molecular level. The magnetic field strengths used (20-30 mT) are thousands of times stronger than typical household EMF exposures, which range from microtesla to low millitesla levels. However, the research demonstrates a fundamental principle: magnetic fields can alter protein structure and function through interactions with iron atoms. This mechanism could be relevant to human health since iron-containing proteins play crucial roles in our cellular metabolism and antioxidant defenses. The finding that different field strengths produced opposite biological effects also highlights the complex, non-linear nature of EMF bioeffects.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0, 20, and 30 mG
- Exposure Duration
- 5 day, 5 h each
Exposure Context
This study used 0, 20, and 30 mG for magnetic fields:
- 1,000Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 200Kx 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
In the present study, we examined the relationship between ferrous content and gene expression and activity of ferritin and catalase in soybean plants under the influence of 0, 20, and 30 mT SMF for 5 day, 5 h each.
Exposure to 20 mT decreased gene expression of Fe transporter, ferrous and H2O2 contents and gene e...
From these results, it is likely that the number of iron atoms is involved in the nature of influence of SMF on protein structure.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2018_possible_role_of_iron_462,
author = {Shokrollahi S and Ghanati F and Sajedi RH and Sharifi M},
title = {Possible role of iron containing proteins in physiological responses of soybean to static magnetic field.},
year = {2018},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0176161718301688},
}