Evaluation of selected biochemical parameters in the saliva of young males using mobile phones.
Abu Khadra KM, Khalil AM, Abu Samak M, Aljaberi A. · 2014
View Original AbstractFifteen minutes of mobile phone use at normal levels triggered measurable oxidative stress responses in human saliva.
Plain English Summary
Researchers measured biochemical changes in saliva from 12 young men before and after using mobile phones at typical exposure levels (1.09 W/kg SAR). They found that just 15 minutes of phone use triggered a significant increase in superoxide dismutase (an enzyme that fights cellular damage), indicating the body was responding to oxidative stress from the radiation.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that mobile phone radiation triggers measurable biological responses in humans at everyday exposure levels. The 1.09 W/kg SAR used here falls within the range of typical smartphones, making these findings highly relevant to regular phone users. What's particularly striking is that the researchers detected these changes in saliva after just 15 minutes of exposure, suggesting our bodies are constantly responding to RF radiation during normal phone use. The increase in superoxide dismutase represents the cellular equivalent of your body's alarm system going off, deploying antioxidant defenses against potential damage. While the body's protective mechanisms kicked in initially, the fact that this enzyme activity dropped with longer exposure raises questions about whether our natural defenses can keep up with prolonged RF exposure.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.09 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1800 MHz modulated at 217 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 and 30 min
Exposure Context
This study used 1.09 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.7x 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 biochemical status in the saliva of 12 males before/after using mobile phone has been evaluated
Radio frequency signals of 1800 MHz (continuous wave transmission, 217 Hz modulate and Global System...
Cell phone radiation induced a significant increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD); there was a stati...
Results suggest that exposure to electromagnetic radiation may exert an oxidative stress on human cells as evidenced by the increase in the concentration of the superoxide radical anion released in the saliva of cell phone users.
Show BibTeX
@article{km_2014_evaluation_of_selected_biochemical_788,
author = {Abu Khadra KM and Khalil AM and Abu Samak M and Aljaberi A.},
title = {Evaluation of selected biochemical parameters in the saliva of young males using mobile phones.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24499288/},
}