Extremely low frequency magnetic field modulates the level of neurotransmitters.
Chung YH, Lee YJ, Lee HS, Chung SJ, Lim CH, Oh KW, Sohn UD, Park ES, Jeong JH · 2015
View Original AbstractMagnetic field exposure altered multiple brain neurotransmitters in rats, showing how EMF can directly affect brain chemistry and potentially neurological function.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 60 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as household electricity) for 2-5 days and measured brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. They found significant changes in key brain chemicals including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine across multiple brain regions. These neurotransmitters control mood, movement, and cognitive function, suggesting that magnetic field exposure can alter brain chemistry.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing evidence that extremely low frequency magnetic fields can directly affect brain function at the cellular level. The 2.0 mT exposure level used here is much higher than typical household exposures (which range from 0.01-0.2 mT), but it demonstrates a clear biological mechanism by which magnetic fields influence neurotransmitter systems. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows effects across multiple brain regions and neurotransmitter types, not just isolated changes. The alterations in dopamine, serotonin, and other key brain chemicals could potentially explain some of the neurological symptoms reported by people with electromagnetic sensitivity, though more research is needed to establish connections at real-world exposure levels.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 2 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 or 5 days
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
This study was aimed to observe that extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) may be relevant to changes of major neurotransmitters in rat brain.
After the exposure to ELF-MF (60 Hz, 2.0 mT) for 2 or 5 days, we measured the levels of biogenic ami...
The exposure of ELF-MF for 2 or 5 days produced significant differences in norepinephrine and vanill...
The present study has demonstrated that exposure to ELF-MFs may evoke the changes in the levels of biogenic amines, amino acid and NO in the brain although the extent and property vary with the brain areas. However, the mechanisms remain further to be characterized.
Show BibTeX
@article{yh_2015_extremely_low_frequency_magnetic_332,
author = {Chung YH and Lee YJ and Lee HS and Chung SJ and Lim CH and Oh KW and Sohn UD and Park ES and Jeong JH},
title = {Extremely low frequency magnetic field modulates the level of neurotransmitters.},
year = {2015},
url = {https://synapse.koreamed.org/upload/SynapseData/PDFData/0067KJPP/kjpp-19-15.pdf},
}