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CNN - Keeping a cell phone on talk mode in a pocket
can decrease sperm quality, according to new
research from the Cleveland Clinic.
can decrease sperm quality, according to new
research from the Cleveland Clinic.
RING A DING A LING LONG
Can cell phones affect sperm quality?
Can cell phones affect sperm quality?
In the small study, Agarwal's team took semen samples from 32 men and brought them to
the lab. Each man's sample was placed into small, conical tubes and divided into two parts:
a test group and a control group. The control group was unexposed to cell phone emissions,
but kept under the same conditions and temperature as the test group.
The semen in the test group was placed 2.5 centimeters from an 850 MHz cell phone in talk
mode for 1 hour. Researchers say that 850 MHz is the most commonly used frequency.
They used the measurement of 2.5 centimeters to mimic the distance between the trouser
pocket and the testes. Agarwal reasoned that many men keep their active cell phones in their
pants pocket while talking on their headsets.
Overall, researchers found an increase in oxidative stress such as a significant increase in
free radicals and oxidants and a decrease in antioxidants. Agarwal says that equals a
decrease in sperm's quality, including motility and viability. Evidence of oxidative stress can
appear under other conditions, including exposure to certain environmental pollutants or
infections in the urinary genital tract.
"On average, there was an 85 percent increase in the amount of free radicals for all the
subjects in the study. Free radicals have been linked to a variety of diseases in humans
including cancer," said Agarwal. Free radicals have been linked to decreased sperm quality
in previous studies.
However, the study does have major limitations, he acknowledged, such as the small
sample size. It also was conducted in a lab and so cannot account for the protection a
human body might offer, such as layers of skin, bone and tissue. Agarwal is in the early
stages of further research that can model the human body's role in protecting from
radio-frequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones.
Agarwal also admits that there is no clear explanation of this demonstrated effect, but he
shared some of his theories. "Perhaps the cell phone radiation is able to affect the gonads
through a thermal effect thereby increasing the temperature of the testes and causing
damaging effects in the sperm cell." [read more]
the lab. Each man's sample was placed into small, conical tubes and divided into two parts:
a test group and a control group. The control group was unexposed to cell phone emissions,
but kept under the same conditions and temperature as the test group.
The semen in the test group was placed 2.5 centimeters from an 850 MHz cell phone in talk
mode for 1 hour. Researchers say that 850 MHz is the most commonly used frequency.
They used the measurement of 2.5 centimeters to mimic the distance between the trouser
pocket and the testes. Agarwal reasoned that many men keep their active cell phones in their
pants pocket while talking on their headsets.
Overall, researchers found an increase in oxidative stress such as a significant increase in
free radicals and oxidants and a decrease in antioxidants. Agarwal says that equals a
decrease in sperm's quality, including motility and viability. Evidence of oxidative stress can
appear under other conditions, including exposure to certain environmental pollutants or
infections in the urinary genital tract.
"On average, there was an 85 percent increase in the amount of free radicals for all the
subjects in the study. Free radicals have been linked to a variety of diseases in humans
including cancer," said Agarwal. Free radicals have been linked to decreased sperm quality
in previous studies.
However, the study does have major limitations, he acknowledged, such as the small
sample size. It also was conducted in a lab and so cannot account for the protection a
human body might offer, such as layers of skin, bone and tissue. Agarwal is in the early
stages of further research that can model the human body's role in protecting from
radio-frequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones.
Agarwal also admits that there is no clear explanation of this demonstrated effect, but he
shared some of his theories. "Perhaps the cell phone radiation is able to affect the gonads
through a thermal effect thereby increasing the temperature of the testes and causing
damaging effects in the sperm cell." [read more]
"We believe that these devices are used because
we consider them very safe, but it could cause
harmful effects due to the proximity of the phones
and the exposure that they are causing to the
gonads," says lead researcher Ashok Agarwal, the
Director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine.
we consider them very safe, but it could cause
harmful effects due to the proximity of the phones
and the exposure that they are causing to the
gonads," says lead researcher Ashok Agarwal, the
Director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine.