Biological Effects of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Fields at 27 GHz on Sperm Quality of Mytilus galloprovincialis

2022 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 846

Sperm motility decreased after 10 minutes of exposure to 27 GHz electromagnetic fields. After 30 minutes, most spermatozoa were reported as immobile and not vital.

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2022

Study typein_vitro

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Biological Effects of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Fields at 27 GHz on Sperm Quality of Mytilus galloprovincialis Roberta Pecoraro, Santi C. Pavone, Elena M. Scalisi, Carmen Sica, Sara Ignoto, Martina Contino, Antonio Salvaggio, Dimitra Marmara, Gino Sorbello, Loreto Di Donato, Maria V. Brundo. 2022. Biological Effects of Non- Ionizing Electromagnetic Fields at 27 GHz on Sperm Quality of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 10(4):521. doi: 10.3390/jmse10040521 Abstract Recently, an increasing use of wireless internet technologies has been demonstrated. The devices which use these technologies emit in new spectral regions an electromagnetic radiation (EMF) which could interact with the male reproductive system. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the effect of electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz on sperm quality in Mytilus galloprovincialis. Sperm samples were collected from sexually mature males of M. galloprovincialis and placed in seawater. Once we evaluated the number and quality of spermatozoa, sperm cells were exposed to electromagnetic fields radiated by a pyramidal horn antenna. The effect of exposure was evaluated after 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 min by a light microscope and using an Eosin test. Ten replications were performed for each time series, and statistical analysis was carried out by t-test. Sperm motility decreased after 10 min of exposure, and after 30 min most of the spermatozoa were immobile and not vital. This study provides useful data on the potential ecological impact of the high-band 5G on animal fertility, the effect of which is currently under investigation. Conclusions This study indicates that electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz can affect the sperm quality in marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. The significative decrease observed in sperm motility after only 10 min of exposure represents a crucial factor to be considered because it can threaten the reproductivity of the species. This study provides useful data on the potential impact of high frequency EMFs on aquatic animals and cells, which is currently poorly investigated. Future research could benefit from specific investigations into the impact of 5G to better monitor the effects on animal organisms and to fill the gap currently known about the interactions with artificial sources of electromagnetic fields. Open access paper: mdpi.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typein_vitro

Effect directionharm

PopulationMytilus galloprovincialis (marine mussel) sperm samples from sexually mature males

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposuremmWave · 27000 MHz · 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 min

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Sperm motility decreased after 10 minutes of exposure to 27 GHz electromagnetic fields. After 30 minutes, most spermatozoa were reported as immobile and not vital.

Outcomes measured

Sperm motility
Sperm vitality (Eosin test)
Sperm quality (microscopy assessment)

Limitations

In vitro study on mussel sperm; generalizability to whole organisms or humans not addressed in the abstract
Exposure metric details (e.g., SAR/power density) not reported in the abstract
Sample size/number of males not reported (only 'ten replications' per time series)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "mmWave",
    "source": "pyramidal horn antenna",
    "frequency_mhz": 27000,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "10, 20, 30, 40, 60 min"
  },
  "population": "Mytilus galloprovincialis (marine mussel) sperm samples from sexually mature males",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Sperm motility",
    "Sperm vitality (Eosin test)",
    "Sperm quality (microscopy assessment)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Sperm motility decreased after 10 minutes of exposure to 27 GHz electromagnetic fields. After 30 minutes, most spermatozoa were reported as immobile and not vital.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "In vitro study on mussel sperm; generalizability to whole organisms or humans not addressed in the abstract",
    "Exposure metric details (e.g., SAR/power density) not reported in the abstract",
    "Sample size/number of males not reported (only 'ten replications' per time series)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "27 GHz",
    "millimeter wave",
    "mmWave",
    "5G",
    "non-ionizing electromagnetic fields",
    "Mytilus galloprovincialis",
    "sperm quality",
    "sperm motility",
    "vitality",
    "in vitro",
    "pyramidal horn antenna"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.55,
      "reason": "Study discusses potential ecological impact of high-band 5G and uses 27 GHz exposure."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.3390/jmse10040521
PubMed: Not supplied

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