Mobile phone radiation-induced free radical damage in the liver is inhibited by the antioxidants n-acetyl cysteine and epigallocatechin-gallate.
Ozgur E, Güler G, Seyhan N. · 2010
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at everyday exposure levels caused measurable liver damage in this study, with harm increasing based on usage time.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed guinea pigs to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 10-20 minutes daily and found it caused liver damage through oxidative stress. Antioxidants like N-acetyl cysteine and green tea extract provided protection, suggesting cell phone radiation may harm organs beyond the brain.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to our understanding of how radiofrequency radiation affects organs throughout the body, not just the brain where we typically focus our attention. The 0.38 W/kg exposure level used here is well within the range of what modern smartphones produce during calls, making these findings directly relevant to everyday phone use. What's particularly significant is the dose-response relationship - more exposure time meant more liver damage, which mirrors real-world usage patterns where heavy phone users face greater cumulative exposure. The protective effects of antioxidants also align with a growing body of research suggesting that EMF damage operates primarily through oxidative stress pathways. This research challenges the narrow focus on heating effects that dominates current safety standards, demonstrating that biological impacts can occur at power levels far below what causes tissue warming.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.38 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1800-MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 10 or 20 min per day for seven days
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
To investigate oxidative damage and antioxidant enzyme status in the liver of guinea pigs exposed to mobile phone-like radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and the potential protective effects of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) on the oxidative damage.
Nine groups of guinea pigs were used to study the effects of exposure to an 1800-MHz Global System f...
Significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) and total nitric oxide (NO(x)) levels and decreases i...
Mobile phone-like radiation induces oxidative damage and changes the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver. The adverse effect of RFR may be related to the duration of mobile phone use. NAC and EGCG protect the liver tissue against the RFR-induced oxidative damage and enhance antioxidant enzyme activities.
Show BibTeX
@article{e_2010_mobile_phone_radiationinduced_free_562,
author = {Ozgur E and Güler G and Seyhan N.},
title = {Mobile phone radiation-induced free radical damage in the liver is inhibited by the antioxidants n-acetyl cysteine and epigallocatechin-gallate.},
year = {2010},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20807176/},
}