Effect of Electromagnetic Waves from Mobile Phones on Spermatogenesis in the Era of 4G-LTE.

BioMed research international · 2018 · Harm · Low evidence

← Research stream

HarmLow evidencePaper 5537

After 1 month of exposure to 4G-LTE mobile phone electromagnetic field, spermatid counts differed across groups (p=0.041) and were lowest in the 3 cm + 18 h/day group. Spermatogonia count, total germ cell counts, and Leydig cell count were significantly decre…

Study snapshot

PublicationBioMed research international · 2018

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of long duration exposure to electromagnetic field from mobile phones on spermatogenesis in rats using 4G-LTE. METHODS: Twenty Sprague-Dawley male rats were placed into 4 groups according to the intensity and exposure duration: Group 1 (sham procedure), Group 2 (3 cm distance + 6 h exposure daily), Group 3 (10 cm distance + 18 h exposure daily), and Group 4 (3 cm distance + 18 h exposure daily). After 1 month, we compared sperm parameters and histopathological findings of the testis. RESULTS: The mean spermatid count (×10/ml) was 398.6 in Group 1, 365.40 in Group 2, 354.60 in Group 3, and 298.60 in Group 4 ( = 0.041). In the second review, the mean count of spermatogonia in Group 4 (43.00) was significantly lower than in Group 1 (57.00) and Group 2 (53.40) ( < 0.001 and = 0.010, resp.). The sum of the germ cell counts was decreased in Group 4 compared to Groups 1, 2, and 3 ( = 0.032). The mean Leydig cell count was significantly decreased in Group 4 ( < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The longer exposure duration of electromagnetic field decreased the spermatogenesis. Our findings warrant further investigations on the potential effects of EMF from mobile phones on male fertility.

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 typeanimal

Effect directionharm

PopulationSprague-Dawley male rats

Sample size20

ExposureRF · 6 h/day or 18 h/day for 1 month

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Spermatid count
Spermatogonia count
Sum of germ cell counts
Leydig cell count
Histopathological findings of the testis
Sperm parameters

Limitations

Small sample size (20 rats total)
Frequency and SAR not reported in abstract
Exposure described by distance and hours/day; intensity metrics not provided
Short follow-up duration (1 month)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "6 h/day or 18 h/day for 1 month"
  },
  "population": "Sprague-Dawley male rats",
  "sample_size": 20,
  "outcomes": [
    "Spermatid count",
    "Spermatogonia count",
    "Sum of germ cell counts",
    "Leydig cell count",
    "Histopathological findings of the testis",
    "Sperm parameters"
  ],
  "main_findings": "After 1 month of exposure to 4G-LTE mobile phone electromagnetic field, spermatid counts differed across groups (p=0.041) and were lowest in the 3 cm + 18 h/day group. Spermatogonia count, total germ cell counts, and Leydig cell count were significantly decreased in the longest/closest exposure group compared with sham and/or shorter exposure groups.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Small sample size (20 rats total)",
    "Frequency and SAR not reported in abstract",
    "Exposure described by distance and hours/day; intensity metrics not provided",
    "Short follow-up duration (1 month)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "4G-LTE",
    "mobile phone",
    "electromagnetic field",
    "rats",
    "spermatogenesis",
    "male fertility",
    "testis histopathology",
    "Leydig cells",
    "germ cells"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Study evaluates EMF exposure from mobile phones (4G-LTE) and reproductive outcomes."
    }
  ]
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

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: 10.1155/2018/1801798
PubMed: 29789776

Read the original paper →

Related papers

← Back to the Research Library