Sleep problems, depression, anxiety, stress?

2 May 2026

Do you have sleep problems, depression, anxiety or stress?

New evidence links these problems with occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields.

In a study published on 24 April, researchers showed that workers exposed to high magnetic fields in a Tunisian power plant had more sleep and mental health problems than their less- exposed colleagues.

Specifically, they found:

·         exposed workers were four times more likely to have poor sleep quality (64.9%) than unexposed workers (29.5%);

·         24.7% of exposed workers suffered from depression, compared to 3.4% of unexposed workers;

·         23.4% of exposed workers reported anxiety, compared to no unexposed workers;

·         46.8% of exposed workers experienced stress, compared to no unexposed workers.

‘A significantly higher proportion of power plant workers reported poor sleep quality compared with administrative workers’, the authors say.

During the study, the researchers measured magnetic fields at different locations in the plant. They found that magnetic fields ranged from 0.14 microTesla/µT (1.4 milliGauss/mG) to 49.9 µT (499mG).

However, they were lower than the levels recommended by the radiation Guidelines of ICNIRP [International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection] which ‘vary between 100 and 1000 µT (1000 – 10,000 mG) depending on the frequency range of the radiation.’ These Guidelines are the basis for radiation standards in many countries, including Australia. 

However, the authors say that ‘the negative effects of ELF-EMFs reported in the literature may appear at levels below international safety limits.’

They also point out that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified magnetic fields above 0.4 µT (4 mG) as Class 2B (possible) carcinogens in 2002. Additionally, fields above 0.4 µT have been associated with an increased incidence of childhood leukemia.

How might magnetic fields contribute to sleep and mental health problems?

The authors refer to studies showing that magnetic field exposure reduced secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland, a hormone related to sleep.

They also refer to studies showing that exposure contributed to oxidative stress – in other words, the generation of free radicals that are related to mental health problems such as stress and depression.

What can be done?

‘These findings underscore the importance of implementing safer workplace practices and incorporating them into Occupational Health and Safety training,’ the authors write.

Kacem I, Jammeli I, Sridi C, Gaddour A, Makhloufi M, Aloui A, Chouchane A, Maalel OE, Kahloul M and Mrizak N (2026) Impact of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields exposure on sleep quality and mental health in a Tunisian power plant: a cross-sectional study. Front. Psychiatry 17:1755918, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1755918