Effects of mobile phones on oxidant/antioxidant balance in cornea and lens of rats.
Balci M, Devrim E, Durak I. · 2007
View Original AbstractMobile phone radiation caused measurable oxidative stress in rat eye tissues, but vitamin C supplementation completely prevented the damage.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to mobile phone radiation for 4 weeks and measured oxidative stress markers in their eye tissues (cornea and lens). The radiation significantly increased harmful oxidative stress in both tissues, while vitamin C supplementation prevented these effects. This suggests that mobile phone radiation can damage delicate eye tissues through oxidative stress, but antioxidants may offer protection.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing evidence that mobile phone radiation creates oxidative stress in sensitive tissues beyond just the brain. The eye's cornea and lens are particularly vulnerable because they lack the protective blood-brain barrier and receive direct exposure when you hold a phone to your head. What makes this research especially relevant is that oxidative stress in eye tissues has been linked to cataracts and other vision problems in humans. The fact that vitamin C prevented the radiation-induced damage suggests these effects are preventable, but it also confirms that the radiation is causing real biological harm. While the study doesn't specify exact exposure levels, the consistent pattern of oxidative stress across multiple EMF studies indicates this isn't just a laboratory curiosity but a mechanism that likely operates in real-world phone use.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 4 weeks.
Study Details
To investigate the effects of mobile-phone-emitted radiation on the oxidant/antioxidant balance in corneal and lens tissues and to observe any protective effects of vitamin C in this setting.
Forty female albino Wistar rats were assigned to one of four groups containing 10 rats each. One gro...
In corneal tissue, MDA level and CAT activity significantly increased in the mobile phone group comp...
The results of this study suggest that mobile telephone radiation leads to oxidative stress in corneal and lens tissues and that antioxidants such as vitamin C can help to prevent these effects.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2007_effects_of_mobile_phones_1867,
author = {Balci M and Devrim E and Durak I.},
title = {Effects of mobile phones on oxidant/antioxidant balance in cornea and lens of rats.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17364731/},
}