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Using medaka embryos as a model system to study biological effects of the electromagnetic fields on development and behavior

Bioeffects Seen

Lee W, Yang KL · 2014

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Medaka fish embryos exposed to electromagnetic fields developed faster and, at the highest level tested, showed heightened anxiety-like behavior.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers used medaka fish embryos (Oryzias latipes) to study how electromagnetic fields affect development and behavior. Newly fertilized embryos were randomly assigned to groups exposed to an EMF at 3.2 kHz at intensities of 0.12, 15, 25, or 60 µT, with the 0.12 µT group serving as the control. Embryos exposed to all three EMF levels developed significantly faster across several endpoints, including somite number, eye dimensions, eye pigmentation density, midbrain width, head growth, and day to hatch. The group exposed to 60 µT showed significantly higher levels of anxiety-like behavior than the other groups.

Why This Matters

The embryos were exposed continually until hatch and observed daily, with images recorded to analyze developmental endpoints. Four days after hatching, the hatchlings were tested with a white preference test to measure anxiety-like behavior. The researchers concluded that the EMF tested accelerated embryonic development and heightened anxiety-like behavior. The study also concluded that the medaka embryo is a sensitive and cost-efficient in vivo model system for studying the developmental toxicity of EMFs.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
0.00012, 0.015 ,0.025 ,0.06 mT
Source/Device
3.2 kHz
Exposure Duration
Continuously during embryonic development of medakas

Exposure Context

This study used 0.00012, 0.015 ,0.025 ,0.06 mT 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 ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.00012, 0.015 ,0.025 ,0.06 mTExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the Severe Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 1,667 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 3.2 kHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 3.2 kHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

To study biological effects of the electromagnetic fields on development and behavior using medaka embryos as a model system

Medaka embryos (Oryzias latipes) have been a useful tool to study developmental toxicity in vivo due...

The results showed that embryos exposed to all three levels of the EMF developed significantly faste...

In conclusion, the EMF tested in this study accelerated embryonic development and heightened anxiety-like behavior. Our results also demonstrate that the medaka embryo is a sensitive and cost-efficient in vivo model system to study developmental toxicity of EMFs.

Cite This Study
Lee W, Yang KL (2014). Using medaka embryos as a model system to study biological effects of the electromagnetic fields on development and behavior Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2014 Jul 29;108C:187-194. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.06.035.
Show BibTeX
@article{w_2014_using_medaka_embryos_as_121,
  author = {Lee W and Yang KL},
  title = {Using medaka embryos as a model system to study biological effects of the electromagnetic fields on development and behavior},
  year = {2014},
  
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651314002917},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

The study used medaka fish embryos (Oryzias latipes), chosen for their optical transparency.
Embryos were exposed to an EMF at 3.2 kHz at intensities of 0.12, 15, 25, or 60 µT.
Embryos exposed to all three EMF levels developed significantly faster, with effects seen in somite number, eye dimensions, midbrain width, head growth, and day to hatch.
The group exposed to 60 µT showed significantly higher levels of anxiety-like behavior than the other groups.
Researchers used a white preference test on hatchlings four days after hatching to investigate anxiety-like behavior.