Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phone causes defective testicular function in male Wistar rats.
Oyewopo AO, Olaniyi SK, Oyewopo CI, Jimoh AT. · 2017
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation caused testicular damage and hormone disruption in rats after just 1-3 hours daily exposure for four weeks.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed male rats to cell phone radiation for 1-3 hours daily over 28 days and found significant damage to reproductive function. The radiation caused cellular degeneration in testicles, increased harmful oxidative stress, and decreased key reproductive hormones including testosterone. This suggests that regular cell phone exposure may impair male fertility through biological mechanisms that worsen with longer exposure times.
Why This Matters
This study adds to mounting evidence that radiofrequency radiation affects male reproductive health through oxidative stress pathways. The researchers found dose-dependent effects, meaning longer exposure caused more damage - a pattern that strengthens the case for biological causation rather than coincidence. What makes this particularly relevant is that many men routinely carry phones in pockets near reproductive organs for hours daily, potentially matching or exceeding the exposure durations that caused hormonal disruption in this study. The finding that even one hour of daily exposure triggered oxidative stress markers suggests our current safety standards may not adequately protect reproductive health. While we need human studies to confirm these effects, the biological plausibility is strong given that sperm cells are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 1-hr, 2-hr, 3-hr exposure
Study Details
The current study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the emitted radiation by cell phones on testicular histomorphometry and biochemical analyses
Adult male Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g were randomly allotted to control, group A (switched off m...
The histomorphometric parameters showed no significant change (p < .05) in the levels of germinal ep...
The study demonstrates that chronic exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation of cell phone leads to defective testicular function that is associated with increased oxidative stress and decreased gonadotropic hormonal profile.
Show BibTeX
@article{ao_2017_radiofrequency_electromagnetic_radiation_from_1689,
author = {Oyewopo AO and Olaniyi SK and Oyewopo CI and Jimoh AT.},
title = {Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phone causes defective testicular function in male Wistar rats.},
year = {2017},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28261838/},
}