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The effects of microwave emitted by cellular phones on ovarian follicles in rats.

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Gul A, Celebi H, Uğraş S. · 2009

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Prenatal cell phone radiation exposure reduced ovarian follicles in rats, suggesting wireless devices may impact developing fertility.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to cell phone radiation throughout pregnancy and found their female offspring had significantly fewer ovarian follicles (egg-containing structures) compared to unexposed controls. The study suggests that prenatal exposure to cell phone microwaves may harm developing reproductive organs. This raises important questions about potential fertility impacts from wireless device exposure during pregnancy.

Why This Matters

This research adds to growing concerns about EMF exposure during critical developmental windows. The study design is particularly relevant because it mimics real-world exposure patterns - phones in standby mode with periodic active use over extended periods. While the exposure levels aren't quantified, the setup suggests typical household proximity exposure that many pregnant women experience daily. The finding of reduced follicle counts is especially significant because women are born with all the eggs they'll ever have. If similar effects occur in humans, prenatal EMF exposure could potentially impact lifelong fertility. The science demonstrates that developing organisms may be more vulnerable to EMF effects than adults, making precautionary approaches during pregnancy increasingly important.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 11 h and 45 min

Study Details

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were any toxic effects of microwaves of cellular phones on ovaries in rats.

In this study, 82 female pups of rats, aged 21 days (43 in the study group and 39 in the control gro...

The analysis revealed that in the study group, the number of follicles was lower than that in the co...

We suggest that the microwaves of mobile phones might decrease the number of follicles in rats by several known and, no doubt, countless unknown mechanisms.

Cite This Study
Gul A, Celebi H, Uğraş S. (2009). The effects of microwave emitted by cellular phones on ovarian follicles in rats. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 280(5):729-733, 2009.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2009_the_effects_of_microwave_2128,
  author = {Gul A and Celebi H and Uğraş S.},
  title = {The effects of microwave emitted by cellular phones on ovarian follicles in rats.},
  year = {2009},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19241083/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to cell phone radiation throughout pregnancy and found their female offspring had significantly fewer ovarian follicles (egg-containing structures) compared to unexposed controls. The study suggests that prenatal exposure to cell phone microwaves may harm developing reproductive organs. This raises important questions about potential fertility impacts from wireless device exposure during pregnancy.