Sperm - Not so Mobile

Friday 18 February, 2005

A preliminary study at the University of Newcastle has identified that radio waves of a similar frequency to those associated with mobile phones can damage sperm DNA in mice.

Professor John Aitken and Dr Bruce King from the Faculty of Science and Information Technology conducted the preliminary study exposing mice to electromagnetic radiation at a frequency similar to what most people receive from their mobile phones.

Initial results found that there was more DNA damage in the exposed sperm than in sperm from the control groups.

Professor Aitken stresses, "Clearly further research needs to be done before we are able to establish an impact of mobile phone use on sperm quality. These are very preliminary findings that will have to be substantiated in additional, more detailed, studies."

The study will be published in the International Journal of Andrology.

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But, wouldn't exposing a mouse to the radiation of a cellular phone be the equivilent of exposing a human being to the radiation of a nuclear bomb? What would happen to _your_ sperm if you were within range of radiation from a nuclear bomb? The little guy running around at your feet is getting that same kind of radiation (relative to his size and body build) from a cell phone I would assume, when to him, this 'giant thing in the air' is right in his midst. What would happen to a mouse if exposed to the benign amount of radiation from a (built for human use) X-Ray machine? PAT]