Men who are heavy users of cell phones have up to 40 percent lower sperm counts than lighter users, according to a new Australian study which demonstrated that DNA in semen is damaged after 16 hours of exposure to cell phone radiation.
Researchers at the University of Newcastle created a device that irradiated sperm with radio waves set at the same frequency as cellular phone calls. “After 16 hours of exposure, there was clear evidence of DNA damage,” said study spokesman Professor John Aitken, who characterized the damage as high levels of DNA fragmentation.
The fragmentation is caused, the researchers say, by oxidative stress, which occurs when the generation of free radicals outstrips the body’s anti-oxidant defenses. DNA fragmentation has in the past been tied to oxidative stress brought on by infection, aging, and smoking, but until this time little research with cell phones had been carried out.
DNA damage in sperm has been linked to a decrease in fertility, an increased risk of disease in offspring such as childhood cancer, and also to neurological conditions such as bipolar disorder and autism.
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