Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effects of 50 Hz rotating magnetic field on the viability of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus med./bio.

By: Nawrotek P, Fijalkowski K, Struk M, Kordas M, Rakoczy R

Published in: Electromagn Biol Med 2014; 33 (1): 29-34

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 50 Hz Exposure duration: continuous for up to 270 minutes (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 or 270 minutes)	magnetic flux density: 30 mT

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	50 Hz
Type	magnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for up to 270 minutes (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 or 270 minutes)

Exposure setup

Exposure source	coil(s)
Chamber	bacteria were exposed in 15 ml plastic tubes
Setup	setup consisted of a generator made of a stator of a three-phase asynchronical engine and a glass container filled with water (served as water bath for the test tubes); stator was made of stampings with slots to carry three-phase winding that were geometrically spaced 120° apart; generator produced electromotive force in the bulk of the glass container; magnetic field was generated by coils located around the cylinder and rotates about the cylinder axis with a constant angular frequency; temperature of water bath was 37°C ± 0.5°C
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	30 mT	-	measured	-	-

Exposed system:

bacterium
Escherichia coli/O157:H7 and E68II/0141 and Staphylococcus aureus/FRI 913, ATCC 25923 and ATCC 43300

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell proliferation (exposure duration experiment 1: 30-270 minutes, exposure duration experiment 2: 60 minutes and afterwards cultivation and monitoring for 270 minutes) (optical density, spectrophotometry); cell viability (exposure duration 30-150 minutes) (MTT assay)

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

In exposed cell cultures, the cell proliferation and the cell viability was significantly increased compared to the control group. However, the observed effects were limited up to the time-point of 150 minutes.
The authors conclude that the observed stimulation of cell proliferation and cell viability in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus due to 50 Hz magnetic field exposure could have a negative influence in the case of pathogen treatment, but could have also a beneficial effect in biotechnologic cultivation methods.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

Zhang J et al. (2016): Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field on production of mannatide by alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus
Bayir E et al. (2015): The effects of different intensities, frequencies and exposure times of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7
Fijalkowski K et al. (2015): Effects of rotating magnetic field exposure on the functional parameters of different species of bacteria
Esmekaya MA et al. (2013): Effects of ELF Magnetic Field in Combination with Iron(III) Chloride (FeCl3) on Cellular Growth and Surface Morphology of Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Segatore B et al. (2012): Evaluations of the Effects of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Growth and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Inhan-Garip A et al. (2011): Effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on growth rate and morphology of bacteria
Cellini L et al. (2008): Bacterial response to the exposure of 50 Hz electromagnetic fields
Justo OR et al. (2006): Growth of Escherichia coli under extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields
Gaafar ESA et al. (2006): Stimulation and control of E.coli by using an extremely low frequency magnetic field
Strasak L et al. (2005): Effects of 50 Hz magnetic fields on the viability of different bacterial strains
Fojt L et al. (2004): Comparison of the low-frequency magnetic field effects on bacteria Escherichia coli, Leclercia adecarboxylata and Staphylococcus aureus
Nascimento LF et al. (2003): Glucose consume and growth of E. coli under electromagnetic field
Strasak L et al. (2002): Effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on bacteria Escherichia coli

Effects of 50 Hz rotating magnetic field on the viability of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus med./bio.

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Endpoint

Exposure