Mobile phone usage and male infertility in Wistar rats.
Kesari KK, Kumar S, Behari J. · 2010
View Original AbstractMobile phone radiation at typical use levels reduced sperm count and increased reproductive cell death in this controlled study.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed male rats to mobile phone radiation for 2 hours daily over 35 days at levels similar to phone use (0.9 W/kg SAR). They found significant decreases in sperm count and protein activity, along with increased cell death in reproductive tissues. The study suggests mobile phone radiation may contribute to male fertility problems through cellular damage.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to growing concerns about mobile phone radiation and male fertility. The exposure level of 0.9 W/kg SAR is within the range of typical mobile phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure patterns. The researchers identified a clear biological pathway - protein kinase C disruption leading to oxidative stress and sperm cell death - that could explain fertility impacts observed in human studies. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable reproductive harm at radiation levels considered 'safe' by current standards. The 35-day exposure period roughly corresponds to one complete sperm development cycle, strengthening the biological relevance of these findings for men of reproductive age.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.9 W/kg
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/day × 35 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.9 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.3x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of this study is to observe Mobile phone usage and male infertility in Wistar rats
2 h/day × 35 days at 0.9 W/kg specific absorption rate
A significant decrease in protein kinase C and total sperm count along with increased apoptosis were...
The results suggest that a reduction in protein kinase activity may be related to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under microwave field exposure. Decrease in sperm count and an increase in apoptosis may be causative factor due to mobile radiation exposure leading to infertility.
Show BibTeX
@article{kk_2010_mobile_phone_usage_and_538,
author = {Kesari KK and Kumar S and Behari J.},
title = {Mobile phone usage and male infertility in Wistar rats.},
year = {2010},
url = {http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/10343},
}