Hazards of long term cellular telephone use and the possible associated brain risk

ABSTRACT

Cellular telephones are low-power radio devices that transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation at frequencies ranging between 900 megahertz and 1800 gigahertz. The aim of the present study was to investigate the adverse effects of long-term exposure to low level radio frequency electromagnetic signals currently used in digital mobile telecommunications on albino rats' brain. Ninety male albino rats were included in the current study which were further subdivided into four groups [negative control, sham exposed, 30 minutes period exposed and 60 minutes period exposed].The rats were exposed daily for 3 months to mobile phone electromagnetic signals of 900 megahertz for different time durations. At the end of the study, sixty animals were sacrificed while the rest animals were left unexposed to any electromagnetic signals for further 30 days then sacrificed later on. Brains from all sacrificed animals were fixed and immunohistochemically stained using albumin antibody. Serial sections from fixed tissues were also stained for RNA/ DNA with cresyl violet. The results had shown significant evidences for breakdown in blood brain barrier, positive albumin leakage and neuronal damage. Neuronal damage was recorded in the cortex, hippocampus and the basal ganglia as well. The neuronal albumin leakage and other detected changes would seem to indicate a serious neuronal damage. The study showed that long term exposure to EMF signals was found to destroy cells in parts of the rats' brain important for memory, movement and learning which could possibly cause premature onset of illnesses such as Alzheimers. Furthermore, the resultant changes were still persistent in rats left untreated for one additional month. In conclusion, these findings suggest that frequent exposure to mobile phone signals might carry a risk for chronic users. It is worthy to advice for minimizing the mobile phone use as much as possible