“Radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones may lead to oxidative stress in human semen. We speculate that keeping the cell phone in a trouser pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility.”
Agarwal A1, Desai NR, Makker K, Varghese A, Mouradi R, Sabanegh E, Sharma R.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of cellular phone radiofrequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMW) during talk mode on unprocessed (neat) ejaculated human semen.
DESIGN: Prospective pilot study.
SETTING: Center for reproductive medicine laboratory in tertiary hospital setting.
SAMPLES: Neat semen samples from normal healthy donors (n = 23) and infertile patients (n = 9).
INTERVENTION(S): After liquefaction, neat semen samples were divided into two aliquots. One aliquot (experimental) from each patient was exposed to cellular phone radiation (in talk mode) for 1 h, and the second aliquot (unexposed) served as the control sample under identical conditions.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Evaluation of sperm parameters (motility, viability), reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of semen, ROS-TAC score, and sperm DNA damage.
RESULT(S): Samples exposed to RF-EMW showed a significant decrease in sperm motility and viability, increase in ROS level, and decrease in ROS-TAC score. Levels of TAC and DNA damage showed no significant differences from the unexposed group.
CONCLUSION(S): Radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones may lead to oxidative stress in human semen. We speculate that keeping the cell phone in a trouser pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility.
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“Available findings seem sufficient to demonstrate the existence of biomedical effects, to invoke the precautionary principle, to define exposed subjects as potentially vulnerable and to revise existing limits.”
Di Ciaula A.
The spread of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) is rising and health effects are still under investigation. RF-EMF promote oxidative stress, a condition involved in cancer onset, in several acute and chronic diseases and in vascular homeostasis. Although some evidences are still controversial, the WHO IARC classified RF-EMF as “possible carcinogenic to humans”, and more recent studies suggested reproductive, metabolic and neurologic effects of RF-EMF, which are also able to alter bacterial antibiotic resistance. In this evolving scenario, although the biological effects of 5G communication systems are very scarcely investigated, an international action plan for the development of 5G networks has started, with a forthcoming increment in devices and density of small cells, and with the future use of millimeter waves (MMW). Preliminary observations showed that MMW increase skin temperature, alter gene expression, promote cellular proliferation and synthesis of proteins linked with oxidative stress, inflammatory and metabolic processes, could generate ocular damages, affect neuro-muscular dynamics. Further studies are needed to better and independently explore the health effects of RF-EMF in general and of MMW in particular. However, available findings seem sufficient to demonstrate the existence of biomedical effects, to invoke the precautionary principle, to define exposed subjects as potentially vulnerable and to revise existing limits. An adequate knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms linking RF-EMF exposure to health risk should also be useful in the current clinical practice, in particular in consideration of evidences pointing to extrinsic factors as heavy contributors to cancer risk and to the progressive epidemiological growth of noncommunicable diseases.
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“Electromagnetic radiation may induce oxidative stress, damage sperm nuclear DNA, and eventually reduce sperm quality; these factors negatively affect male fertility.”
Shang-Shu Ding, Ping Sun, Hong Tian, Yong-Wei Huo, Li-Rong Wang, Yan Han, Zhou Zhang, Xiang Liu, Jun-Ping Xing
We evaluated the semen quality and oxidative stress attack on spermatozoa nuclear DNA after men were exposed to a combination of electromagnetic radiation from an 1800-MHz 4G smartphone network and 2.45-GHz wi-fi. According to the daily network exposure time, the subjects involved were divided into three groups, namely group one: less than 30 min; group two: 31-120 min; and group three: more than 121 min. Routine semen tests, re- active oxygen species levels, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase, 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine expression, and urine and comet assays were conducted for all participants and the results for the three groups were compared. With extended exposure time, reactive oxygen increased, while to- tal antioxidant capacity, glutathione and superoxide dismutase, and superoxide dismutase decreased. Increased expression of 8-OHdG and sperm DNA fragments (head DNA% decreased while tail DNA% and Olive tail moment increased) was observed. Sperm count, vitality, and motility decreased significantly. Electromagnetic radiation may induce oxidative stress, damage sperm nuclear DNA, and eventually reduce sperm quality; these factors negatively affect male fertility.
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