Effects of electromagnetic radiation from a cellular phone on human sperm motility: an in vitro study.
Erogul O, Oztas E, Yildirim I, Kir T, Aydur E, Komesli G, Irkilata HC, Irmak MK, Peker AF. · 2006
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation directly reduces sperm movement and increases immobile sperm in laboratory conditions, raising concerns about male fertility.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed sperm samples from 27 men to radiation from an active 900 MHz cell phone and compared them to unexposed samples. The cell phone radiation significantly reduced sperm movement, with fewer sperm swimming rapidly or slowly, and more sperm becoming completely immobile. This suggests that the electromagnetic fields from cell phones can directly impair male fertility by damaging sperm function.
Why This Matters
This controlled laboratory study provides direct evidence that cell phone radiation damages sperm motility within hours of exposure. What makes this research particularly compelling is its simple, controlled design - each man served as his own control, eliminating variables like age, health status, or lifestyle factors that could confuse the results. The 900 MHz frequency used matches older 2G networks, but modern phones operate at multiple frequencies that can be even more powerful. The reality is that millions of men carry phones in their pockets daily, creating chronic exposure to the very radiation this study shows harms sperm. While the wireless industry often dismisses fertility concerns, this adds to a growing body of evidence showing reproductive effects occur at exposure levels well below current safety guidelines.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Effects of electromagnetic radiation from a cellular phone on human sperm motility: an in vitro study
A total number of 27 males were enrolled in the study. The semen sample obtained from each participa...
Statistically significant changes were observed in the rapid progressive, slow progressive and no-mo...
These data suggest that EMR emitted by cellular phone influences human sperm motility. In addition to these acute adverse effects of EMR on sperm motility, long-term EMR exposure may lead to behavioral or structural changes of the male germ cell. These effects may be observed later in life, and they are to be investigated more seriously.
Show BibTeX
@article{o_2006_effects_of_electromagnetic_radiation_2063,
author = {Erogul O and Oztas E and Yildirim I and Kir T and Aydur E and Komesli G and Irkilata HC and Irmak MK and Peker AF.},
title = {Effects of electromagnetic radiation from a cellular phone on human sperm motility: an in vitro study.},
year = {2006},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16971222/},
}