Carrying your mobile phone in your pants pocket could have negative consequences for male fertility, according to a new study carried out by the University of Exeter (United Kingdom).
The researchers, led by Fiona Mathews, professor of Biosciences at this university, carried out an exhaustive examination of 1,492 sperm samples related to ten different studies , in order to clarify the effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobiles.
Thus, the quality of the sperm was analyzed based on its motility (the ability of the sperm to move appropriately towards the egg), viability (the proportion of live sperm) and concentration (the number of sperm per unit of semen ).
After comparing all the data, the researchers found that exposure to mobile waves reduced sperm motility by an average of 8% , as well as similar results in the number of live sperm. Concentration, however, did not have such a clear effect.
“Given the enormous scale of mobile phones around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified . This study suggests that exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality, ”says study leader Fiona Mathews.
The conclusions of the work have been published in the journal Environment International .
