Abstract

Abstract

Overview

As human exposure to intermediate frequency magnetic fields (MF) increases with technologies such as electronic article surveillance and induction cooking hobs, understanding potential health effects is critical.

Findings

• The study involved exposing mice to 7.5 kHz MF at 12 or 120 μT for 5 weeks.
• Key observations included no significant impact on body weight, spontaneous activity, motor skills, anxiety levels, or aggression.
• In the Morris swim task, the 120 μT exposure group displayed a flatter learning curve compared to controls.
• Significant memory impairments were noted in the passive avoidance task over 48 hours in the 120 μT group.
• Neither astroglial activation nor neurogenesis was observed in the hippocampus.
• Although brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA levels remained unchanged, there was a notable increase in the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA in the 120 μT group, suggesting an inflammatory reaction.

Conclusion

This study suggests that exposure to 7.5 kHz magnetic fields may lead to mild but observable learning and memory impairments, potentially mediated by inflammatory processes in the hippocampus.