Infrared scanning near-field optical microscopy observation of low-frequency electromagnetic field effects on functional groups in eukaryotic cells

The authors observed changes in the biochemical properties of eukaryotic cells exposed to an ac magnetic field by infrared scanning near-field optical microscopy. They specifically investigated the changes in the distribution of the inner chemical functional groups and in the cell morphology induced by a 24 h exposure to a 1 mT (rms), 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field in a temperature-regulated solenoid. These results accentuate the crucial questions—raised by several recent studies—about the impact of low-frequency electromagnetic field on human cells.