Common behaviors alterations after extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure in rat animal model.
Mahdavi SM, Sahraei H, Rezaei-Tavirani M, Najafi Abedi A. · 2015
View Original AbstractDaily exposure to 40 Hz electromagnetic fields disrupted rat behavior and metabolism within weeks, suggesting common electrical frequencies may impact biological function.
Plain English Summary
Iranian researchers exposed rats to 40 Hz electromagnetic fields (the same frequency used in many electrical systems) for 21 days and tracked changes in behavior and metabolism. They found significant disruptions including altered body weight patterns, reduced appetite, elevated blood glucose levels, and decreased movement and exploration behaviors. These findings suggest that even relatively low-frequency electromagnetic fields can disrupt normal biological functions in mammals.
Why This Matters
This study adds to mounting evidence that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields can trigger measurable biological responses in living organisms. The 40 Hz frequency used here is particularly relevant because it's common in electrical power systems and industrial equipment that many people encounter daily. What makes this research especially concerning is that the behavioral and metabolic changes occurred after just three weeks of exposure. The disruptions to glucose metabolism and appetite regulation point to potential impacts on fundamental biological processes that maintain health. While we need human studies to confirm these effects translate to people, the consistency of findings across different biological systems suggests we should take ELF-EMF exposure seriously rather than assume it's biologically inert.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 40 Hz Duration: 21 days
Study Details
In the present study, we tried to investigate the relation between exposure to the extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) and common behaviors such as body weight, food and water intake, anorexia (poor appetite), plasma glucose concentration, movement, rearing and sniffing in rats.
For this purpose, rats were exposed to 40 Hz ELF-EMF once a day for 21 days, then at days 1, 3, 7, 1...
Body weight of irradiated rats significantly increased only a week after exposure and decreased afte...
The result of this study demonstrated that exposure to ELF-EMF can alter the normal condition of animals and may represent a harmful impact on behavior.
Show BibTeX
@article{sm_2015_common_behaviors_alterations_after_1761,
author = {Mahdavi SM and Sahraei H and Rezaei-Tavirani M and Najafi Abedi A.},
title = {Common behaviors alterations after extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure in rat animal model.},
year = {2015},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26182237/},
}