The embryonic and post-embryonic development in two Drosophila species exposed to the static magnetic field of 60 mT.
Savić T, Janać B, Todorović D, Prolić Z. · 2011
View Original AbstractStrong magnetic fields reduced fruit fly survival and altered development, demonstrating that electromagnetic fields can disrupt fundamental biological processes.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed fruit fly embryos to a 60 millitesla static magnetic field (about 1,200 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field) throughout their development from egg to adult. The magnetic field exposure reduced survival rates in both species tested and altered their development timing. This suggests that strong magnetic fields can act as biological stressors that interfere with normal growth and development processes.
Why This Matters
While this study used magnetic field strengths far above what you encounter in daily life, it demonstrates a fundamental principle: magnetic fields can disrupt biological development processes. The 60 millitesla exposure is roughly equivalent to what you'd experience very close to an MRI machine, but thousands of times stronger than typical household magnetic field exposures from appliances or power lines. What makes this research significant is that it shows measurable biological effects in a controlled laboratory setting, adding to the growing body of evidence that electromagnetic fields can influence living systems. The fact that both survival rates and development timing were affected suggests these fields may interfere with cellular processes critical to normal growth and reproduction.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 60 mG
Exposure Context
This study used 60 mG for magnetic fields:
- 3Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 600Kx 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 this study, a static magnetic field influence on development and viability in two different species, Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei, was investigated.
Both species completed development (egg–adult), in and out of the static magnetic field induced by d...
We found that exposure to the static magnetic field reduced development time in both species, but st...
These results indicate that 60 mT static magnetic field could be considered as a potential stressor, influencing on different levels the embryonic and post-embryonic development of individuals.
Show BibTeX
@article{t_2011_the_embryonic_and_postembryonic_706,
author = {Savić T and Janać B and Todorović D and Prolić Z.},
title = {The embryonic and post-embryonic development in two Drosophila species exposed to the static magnetic field of 60 mT.},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.3109/15368378.2011.566780},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15368378.2011.566780},
}