Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effect of the oscillating magnetic field on airborne fungal med./bio.

Published in: Arch Microbiol 2021; 203 (5): 2139-2145

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The effects of exposure of three different fungi strains to 60 Hz magnetic fields on colony growth and habit should be investigated.

Background/further details

Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Penicillium citrinum were randomly assigned to different combinations of incubation and exposure factors. A total of 32 experimental runs were performed with different combinations of the following factors: magnetic flux density (0 (control groups), 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mT), duration of cultivation after exposure (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 days), culture medium (malt extract agar, Sabouraud dextrose agar and Czapek-Dox agar; to assess the influence of the nutritional status of fungi).

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 hours
Exposure 2: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 hours
Exposure 3: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 hours
Exposure 4: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 hours
Exposure 5: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: 2 hours

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration 2 hours
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Setup solenoid coil with air core was made of copper wire of 2 mm diameter wound on a cardboard of 30 cm diameter; samples were plated in triplicate in 90 mm Petri dishes
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 1 mT - - - -

Exposure 2

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration 2 hours
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 2 mT - - - -

Exposure 3

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration 2 hours
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 3 mT - - - -

Exposure 4

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration 2 hours
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 4 mT - - - -

Exposure 5

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration 2 hours
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 5 mT - - - -

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Exposure to a 1 mT magnetic field had a significantly stimulating effect on colony growth compared to the control groups. Moreover, magnetic field exposure provoked less exudation and stronger pigmentation of P. citrinum in malt extract agar, a variation of pigmentation of A. niger and C. cladosporioides in Czapek-Dox agar and an increase of conidiogenesis of A. niger in Sabouraud dextrose agar.
The authors concluded that exposure of three different fungi strains to 60 Hz magnetic fields might influence colony growth and mycelia pigmentation.

Study character:

Study funded by

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