Exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones
lowered sperm motility by 8 percent and sperm viability by 9
percent
Previous studies have also found that cell phone radiation
can affect men's sperm count, and the quality and motility
of their sperm
Prenatal animal studies have shown exposure to radiation
from cell phones alters DNA and brain metabolism,
compromises spinal cords, and affects learning abilities
US and international cell-phone safety standards are based
only on the notion that low-frequency electromagnetic
radiation and microwave radiation induce harm by heating
At least 23 studies have shown that microwave and other
low-frequency EMFs act by activating voltage-gated calcium
channels (VGCCs) that cause adverse non-thermal biological
changes
By Dr. Mercola
Four in 10 US homes are cell-phone only, meaning they’ve
ditched their landlines entirely.1
This is twice the rate in 2009, and a sign of just how
integrated cell-phone use is in our culture.
Among certain demographics, the reliance on cell phones as
the only household phone is even higher. For instance, more than
65 percent of adults aged 25-29 live in households with only
cell phones, along with nearly 60 percent of 30- to
34-year-olds.
The convenience comes at a price, however, especially if
you’re planning to have children, or already have them.
Cell Phones Worsen Sperm Quality
A systematic review and meta-analysis looked into the impact
of low-level electromagnetic radiation (EMR) – the type emitted
by cell phones – on sperm quality, both in the lab and among
male patients at fertility clinics.
Their analysis of 10 such studies showed that exposure to EMR
from cell phones lowered sperm motility by 8 percent and sperm
viability by 9 percent.2
Previous studies have also found that cell phone radiation can
affect men's sperm count, and the quality and motility of their
sperm. One such study, published in PLOS One found:3
"RF-EMR in both the power density and frequency range
of mobile phones enhances mitochondrial reactive oxygen
species generation by human spermatozoa, decreasing the
motility and vitality of these cells while stimulating DNA
base adduct formation and, ultimately DNA fragmentation.
These findings have clear implications for the safety
of extensive mobile phone use by males of reproductive age,
potentially affecting both their fertility and the health
and wellbeing of their offspring."
During the 2013 discussion “Cell Phones & Wi-Fi – Are
Children, Fetuses and Fertility at Risk?,” leading experts from
top universities further reported:4
“There is a direct relationship
between duration of cell phone use and sperm count decline.
Sperm count is reduced by half in men who carry cell phones
in their pants pockets for four hours per day. The motility
of the sperm is also impaired.
The testicular barrier, that protects sperm, is the
most sensitive of tissues in the body, and is 100x more
absorbent. Besides sperm count and function, the mitochondrial DNA of sperm are damaged 3x more
if exposed to cell phone radiation.
…DNA mutations have been linked more to damage on the
male side in research from Iceland, the assumption being
that male sperm is more vulnerable than female eggs, which
are more protected. Mutations increase with the age of the
father, and more autism and schizophrenia increase with the
age of the father.”
The data suggest men who plan to father children, in
particular, may want to reconsider carrying their cell phones on
their belts or in their pocket, in close proximity to their
reproductive organs. In addition, both men and women have a
number of other sensitive organs in that general area, including
your liver, kidneys, colon, and bladder—all of which are
susceptible to radiation.
Expert Environmental Health Researchers Warns of Wireless
Radiation and Cancer Connection
Dr. Devra Davis, one of the most well-respected and
credentialed researchers on the dangers of cell phones, and
founder and president of Environmental Health Trust, warned at
the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) meeting that
Wi-Fi use might cause cancer.
In particular, Dr. Davis warned about the risks to pregnant
women and their unborn children, noting that prenatal animal
studies have shown exposure to radiation from cell phones:
Altered DNA
Altered brain metabolism
Compromised spinal cords
Affected learning abilities
Children’s brains contain more liquid than adults’, which
impacts the amount of radiation absorbed (children absorb far
more). Among teens who use cell phones from a young age, the
risk of brain cancer is about four to five times higher than
that of teens who didn’t use cellphones.
Dr. Davis also warned about the increased cancer risks to
those who live near cell towers, and even the potential dangers
of having Wi-Fi in schools. She said:
“We should not rely on proof in a form of death or a
disease before taking action… we should rather look at
evidence that shows the risks. We now have strong evidence
that shows wireless radiation is a possible carcinogen, if
not a definite carcinogen.
…A number of well-designed studies indicate that
cellphone use increases cancer risk. Cellphones change the
brain. Antennas for cellphones are continually searching for
signals to send and receive information. The body or brain
absorbs about half the radiation emitted from the phone at
any time.”
Dr. Davis compared the radiation from cell phones to the
radiation from a microwave oven, noting that power level is the
only difference. That being said, it’s not an issue of
heating per se.
Non-Thermal Biological Health Effects of Cell Phones Exposed
The SAR ("Specific Absorption Rate") value is a measure of
the maximum tested power of the cell phone and its potential for
heating tissues. The SAR rating itself is nothing new. In fact,
the SAR values of phones have been available for some time,
typically listed in fine print somewhere in your owner's manual,
on the manufacturer's website, and in the FCC's databases.
But the SAR level only measures the power density of a phone,
estimating the radiation penetration into the head using a
plexiglass head of a simulated 200-pound man. This is just an
estimate, and it is only an estimate of one of the
components of risk from cell phones – the heat.
It does not gauge the risk from the frequencies of the cell
phone, the erratic pulsing and modulation of the signals, or the
magnetic fields from batteries, which is sorely needed, since
it’s now apparent that cell phones and Wi-Fi trigger changes
even without heating tissues.
According to Martin Pall, professor emeritus of biochemistry
and basic medical sciences at Washington State University, more
than 20,000 publications in the scientific literature show
significant biological effects at exposures well within safety
standards, including about 4,000 that discuss non-thermal
effects.5
Unfortunately, both US and international safety standards are
based only on the notion that low-frequency electromagnetic
radiation and microwave radiation induce harm by heating.
Dr. Pall found, however, that 23 studies have shown that
microwave and other low-frequency EMFs act by activating
voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs)6
with “most biological effects being due to elevated
intracellular calcium, consequent nitric oxide (NO) elevation,
and either peroxynitrite or NO signaling.” He reported on a
“whole serious of biological changes” that may be produced by
microwave exposures via VGCC activation, including:
Oxidative stress
Single and double-stranded breaks in cellular DNA
Blood-brain barrier breakdown
Greatly depressed melatonin levels and sleep disruption
What experts in the area of the biological effects of
electromagnetic frequencies and wireless technologies are
finding is that there's virtually no doubt that cell
phones and related gadgets are capable of causing not only
cancer but also contributing to a wide variety of other
conditions, from depression and diabetes to heart irregularities
and impaired fertility. Researchers have now identified numerous
mechanisms of harm, which explain how electromagnetic fields
impact your cells and damage your DNA.
One such expert is
Dr. Martin Blank, PhD, one of the most experienced
researchers of the cellular and molecular effects of
electromagnetic fields in the US. He gave an informative speech
at the Commonwealth Club of California program, "The Health
Effects of Electromagnetic Fields," co-sponsored by
ElectromagneticHealth.org. In it, he explained why your DNA,
with its “coil of coils” structure, is especially vulnerable
to electromagnetic fields of all kinds. As described in the
International Journal of Radiation Biology, April 2011, DNA
possesses the two structural characteristics of fractal
antennas: electronic conduction, and self-symmetry.7
These properties contribute to greater reactivity of DNA to
electromagnetic fields than other tissues, making the long-term
consequences of repeated microwave exposures to our genetic
material of great concern. Dr. Blank is adamant when he says
that there is evidence of harm, and that the harm can be
significant. He also points out that the science showing harmful
effects has been peer-reviewed, published, and that the results
have been replicated, evaluated and "judged by scientists
capable of judging it."
An analysis of the range of known mechanisms of action,
including DNA effects, was published in November 2010 in
"Non-Thermal Effects and Mechanisms of Interaction Between
Electromagnetic Fields and Living Matter.”8
Furthermore, the mobile industry's own research in the
13-country Interphone study showed a 40 percent increased risk
of brain cancer from 1,640 or more hours of cell phone use,9
and independent Swedish research published in 2007 showed a 540
percent increased risk of brain cancer from greater than 2,000
hours of cell phone use.10
Get Your Cell Phone Out of Your Pocket – And Other Smart Cell
Phone Tips
Around the world, many countries are already adopting the
Precautionary Principle regarding cell phone use. Russian
officials have issued the recommendation that all children under
the age of 18 should avoid using cell phones entirely. The UK,
Israel, Belgium, Germany, India, France, and Finland also urge
citizens to err on the side of caution with respect to their
children's use of cell phones. Cell phone dangers will one day
likely be as well-known as tobacco dangers, but there's going to
be a window when people are extremely vulnerable.
And that window is right now. Children are especially
vulnerable to damage from cell phone radiation and should not
use them at all (or only for very limited amounts). Men and
women who want to have healthy children need to take special
precautions to protect their reproductive organs and should not
keep phones in their front pockets or close to their abdomens.
In the US, public warnings are not yet commonplace, but it's
still important to protect yourself – and your children. There
is plenty of science showing harm to warrant taking action now,
and here’s how:11
Children should not play with radiating cell
phones. Young children should not use cell phones
except in an emergency. While you can put the phone in
“airplane mode,” which disconnects it from Wi-Fi and the
Internet, the cell phone still emits magnetic fields from
the battery, which have also been shown to have equally
important biological consequences. In no cases should
children sleep with cell phones, and extreme caution is
advised for pregnant women or women hoping to conceive due
to the profound long-term impact of environmental factors.
Limit or eliminate Wi-Fi exposures. If
you have a Wi-Fi router, make sure your router is a
low-power version, not in a high-use area and keep it turned
off as much as possible. Consider putting it on a timer so
it is only available during certain hours, and never during
sleeping hours.
Schools should not have Wi-Fi.
Cabled/wired connections do not pose the same risks. If
there is Wi-Fi, again, it should be limited to the time when
the Wi-Fi is specifically needed and not be operating at
other times. Ideally, classrooms, school libraries, and gyms
should be Wi-Fi-free.
Resume using landline phones whenever possible.
Get rid of your portable phone and use your
landline. At the very least, don’t keep your cell phone in
your bedroom while you sleep. Be aware even landline phones
emit magnetic fields from the speaker, and sensitive people
can sometimes feel them, especially on long calls and
particularly when using trim phones. Old-fashioned desk
phone earpieces offer a greater distance between the speaker
and your ear that can make a meaningful difference.
Keep your cell phone away from your body.
Avoid keeping it in your pocket or on your belt. If you’re
pregnant, keep your cell phone away from your belly. Keep
your phone at the other end of the room or on the seat of
the car. Use texting more than talking. A cell phone case
for the iPhone is available that filters out a significant
portion of radiation (but by no means all the power and
frequencies, and other biologically disruptive signal
characteristics also remain). There are several options for
shielded cell phone cases and holsters at
www.EMFSafetyStore.com.
Use a wired earpiece or headphones with cell
phones. Like with landline phones, some people are
impacted by the magnetic fields from the speaker in the ear
buds, so choose a model with the greatest distance from your
ear, or use air tube technology with no electronics near
your ear.
Use caution using your cell phone in your car.
Signals bounce around inside your vehicle, and your head is
the antenna.
Opt-out of new utility meters called “smart
meters.” Prevent smart meters from being installed
in your home whenever possible.
Avoid using wireless baby monitors, as
they all operate on microwave frequency. Look for the old
wired monitors.
Know your exposures. You or your
community can purchase an RF meter for about $500 to measure
RF in homes, schools, churches, etc. See
www.EMFSafetyStore.com.
Support labeling laws that require cell
phone manufacturers to list radiation levels in an obvious
place on the packaging and at the retailer.
Copyright 1997- 2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.