Non-Ionizing Radiation Created by Mobile Phone Progresses Endometrial Hyperplasia: An Experimental Rat Study

Measurement and risk perception of non-ionizing radiation from base transceiver stations in Dhaka City of Bangladesh

Multiple harmful health effects can have on the population from non-ionizing radiation (NIR) sources. To date, there has been no extensive data collection about NIR emitted from base transceiver stations in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. This study aims to remedy that by collecting data and comparing the processed data to the international standards, International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines, and standards of other countries. For this, measurement data were collected from 361 different publicly accessible locations in Dhaka City applying a convenience sampling approach. The measured average electric field exceeded the 1800 MHz threshold values of 36.84, 33.5, and 7.5% of the time compared with the thresholds of China, India, and Japan, respectively, followed by the measured average electromagnetic field values, which were 57, 52, and 29%, respectively. No exceedance was seen for radiofrequency power flux for the investigated countries. Approximately 35% of the calculated average specific energy absorption rate values exceeded the ICNIRP recommended public exposure limit of 0.08 W/kg. Based on this data, it is suggested that detailed NIR exposure regulations need to be created and proper oversight and enforcement over operators are required to avoid potential health effects.

Comparison of mobile phone usage and physical activity on glycemic status, body composition & lifestyle in male Saudi mobile phone users

Background

&Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of mobile phone usage and physical activity on HbA1c, body composition, and lifestyle among male Saudi Arabian mobile phone users.

Methods

The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 2020 to July 2021. The study sample consisted of 203 non-smoker male Saudi participants aged from 20 to 60 years who used mobile phones. Personal information was obtained through interviews using a proforma. The participants were divided into three groups according to their daily mobile phone usage: Group (1): less than 2 h, Group (2): 2–3 h, and Group (3): more than 3 h, and according to their physical activities: Group (1): sedentary, Group (2): average, and Group (3): athletes. Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c), Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), and (SF) 36- items survey was performed.

Results

The mean age of 203 Saudi male adult participants was 28.0 ± 10.4 years. Mobile phone usage in the less than 2 h group was (33.5%), between 2-3 h (22.7%), and more than 3 h (43.8%) respectively. The mean age of Group (3), who used mobile phones for more than 3 h, was the lowest (23.9 ± 5.7). The results showed that HbA1C levels were almost equal in all three groups (5.8 ± 0.4, 5.7 ± 0.4, and 5.7 ± 0.3 respectively). In addition, emotional well-being and social functioning showed insignificant decreases in the more than 3 h group compared to other groups of mobile phone usage (69.3 ± 15.7, 70.9 ± 15.5, 65.2 ± 16.0, p = .091 and 82.9 ± 201, 81.2 ± 18.7, 77.6 ± 21.6, p = .267) respectively. No effect was detected between groups regarding various body compositions. Regarding physical activity classifications: the sedentary group constituted (36%) of the sample, whereas the average and athlete groups represented (53.7%) and (10.3%) of the total sample respectively. There was a significant decrease in BMI (29.6 ± 7.8, 25.3 ± 5.1,24.7 ± 5.6, p = .000), fat mass (24.7 ± 15.0, 17.1 ± 9.1, 15.3 ± 10.6, p = .000), and free fat mass (64.0 ± 10.2, 56.8 ± 8.7, 57.5 ± 8.0, p = .000) in the average and the athletic groups compared to the sedentary group. No significant difference was found in HbA1c between physical activity groups (5.8 ± 0.4, 5.7 ± 0.4, 5.7 ± 0.4, p = .218).

Conclusions

Mobile phone usage does not affect HbA1c and body composition parameters. Furthermore, we found the youngers used mobile phones longer than others. Insignificant decrease in emotional well-being and social functioning parameters of the style of life due to long mobile phone usage which needs more attention.

Non-ionizing radiation as possible carcinogen

The advent of wireless technologies has revolutionized the way we communicate. The steady upsurge in the use of mobile phone all over the world in the last two decades, while triggered economic growth, has caused substantial damage to the environment, both directly and indirectly. The electromagnetic radiation generated from mobile phones, radio-based stations, and phone towers, high-voltage power lines have been reported which leads to the variety of health scares such as the risk of cancer in human beings and adverse effects in animals, birds, etc. Though the usage of such radiation emitting from mobile phones has risen steeply, there is a lack of proper knowledge about the associated risks. The review provides the latest research evidence based both on in vitro studies, in vivo studies, and possible gaps in our knowledge. Moreover, the present review also summarizes available literature in this subject, reports and studies which will help to form guidelines for its exposure limits to the public.Abbreviations: Continuous Wave: CW; Code Division Multiple Access: CDMA; Global System for Mobile Communications: GSM; Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell: PBMC; Radiofrequency: RF; Radiofrequency radiation: RFR; Universal Mobile Telecommunications System: UMTS; Wideband Code Division Multiple Access: WCDMA; Specific Absorption Rate: SAR; National Toxicology Program: NTP; amplitude-modulated or amplitude-modulation: AM; Electromagnetic frequencies: EMF; confidence interval: CI; Gigahertz: GHz; odds ratio: OR; incidence ratio: IR; reactive oxygen species: ROS; specific absorption rate: SAR; International Agency of Research on Cancer: IARC; single-strand breaks: SSB; double-strand breaks: DSB (7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene): DMBA; Hour: h; international commission on non-ionizing radiation protection: ICNIRP; extremely low frequency: ELFl; microtesla: mT; Gigahertz: GHz; hertz: Hz; decibel: dB; kilometer: Km; Watt per square meter: W/m²; Hour: h; positron emission tomography: PET.

Effect of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) waves on some blood factors in domestic pigeons: an experimental study

PURPOSE

BTS waves are one of the most important environmental pollutants, but there is inadequate data of its effects on living creatures. Birds have major role in environmental balance and hematologic factors are good describers of animal health. Therefore, we studied hematological factors in pigeons to assess the health effects of BTS waves in urban birds.

METHODS

This experiment has been run on 120 six month-old pigeons. After adaptation to laboratory settings, they divided to six random groups of distance from BTS and daily exposure time. G1: 50 cm/30 min, G2: 100 cm/30 min daily, G3: 150 cm/30 min, G4: 50 cm/60 min, G5: 100 cm/60 min and G6: 150 cm/60 min. Daily exposure done for 30 consecutive days. Hematologic studies done before and after exposure for analysis of WBC, Neut, Mono, Lymph, RBC, Hb, HCT, MCV, MCHC and platelets. Results processed statistically by SPSS software.

RESULTS

The results of this study showed a significant difference between the six experimental groups. The results showed distance from the BTS source had the largest effect on PLT followed by HCT, MCV, MCHC, Neut, Hb, RBC, Lymph, WBC, and Mono, respectively. Moreover, the duration of exposure to BTS wave had the largest effect on Mono followed by PLT, Neut, MCV, MCHC, WBC, HCT, Lymph, RBC and Hb, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Study showed that increasing exposure time and decreasing distance from the wave source have significant effect on hematologic factors. The distance has more effect than exposure time. Further investigation on protection and reducing the side effects are recommended.

Effect of Nonionizing Radiation on Progesterone Treatment in Endometrial Hyperplasia: An Experimental Rat Study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate the negative effect of nonionizing radiation on the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia (EH) with oral progesterone.

DESIGN

Forty oophorectomized Wistar Albino female rats were included in this experimental rat study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The 4 groups were planned as follows: Group A; sham group; Group B; group receiving oral estradiol hemihydrate 4 mg/kg/day; Group C; 4 mg/kg/day oral estradiol hemihydrate followed with 1 mg/day medroxy progesterone acetate (MPA) and Group D; 4 mg/kg/day oral estradiol hemihydrate followed with 1 mg/day MPA with exposure to nonionizing radiation at 1800 mHz/3 h/day. After the experimental model, uterine horns were sampled and the preparations were evaluated for pathological parameters (glandular density, epithelial cell length, and luminal epithelial cell length) via light microscopy. Nonionizing radiation was created by a signal generator and a compatible mobile phone.

RESULTS

Estrogen was found to increase all parameters related to EH (p < 0.05). Progesterone treatment was found to decrease parameters related to EH (Group B vs. C; luminal epithelial cell length, glandular density, and epithelial length; 11.2 vs. 13.2 μm p = 0.007; 32.5 vs. 35.5, p = 0.068; and 219.9 μm vs. 285 µm, p < 0.001, respectively). Final analyses revealed reduced effectiveness of progesterone treatment in the rats exposed to nonionizing radiation (Group C vs. D); luminal epithelial cell length, glandular density, and epithelial length (11.2 μm vs. 13.5 μm, p = 0.179; 32.5 vs. 52, p < 0.001; and 219.9 μm vs. 374.1 μm, p = 0.001, respectively).

LIMITATIONS

The limitations of our study are that the results of animal experiments may not be appropriate for direct adaptation to humans and the relatively low number of rats included in the study.

CONCLUSION

Nonionizing radiation reduces the effect of progesterone in patients receiving treatment for EH.

Effects of melatonin on uterine hypertrophy/hyperplasia: A preliminary experimental rat study

Endometrial hyperplasia is a process of endometrial proliferation that results in a thickening of the endometrial tissue. Melatonin might be able to change the pathophysiological process and prognosis into a positive way that might prevent and heal endometrial hyperplasia, which is the first stage of endometrial cancer. For this perspective, we tried to investigate the effect of melatonin on uterine hypertrophy/hyperplasia in an experimental rat model. Forty Wistar-Albino rats were undergone bilateral oophorectomy and randomized into four groups. To create a model of uterine hypertrophy/hyperplasia in all groups, except the control group [C] (n = 10), 4 mg/kg/day estradiol hemihydrate were given for 14 days. The uterine hypertrophy/hyperplasia was evaluated histopathologically in the left uterine horns, then the groups were treated for 14 days as follows; melatonin (10 mg/kg/day/po) [M] (n = 10), melatonin + estradiol hemihydrate (10 mg/kg/day/po and 4 mg/kg/day/po) [M + E] (n = 10), and dark environment [D] (n = 10). Finally, the effects of the melatonin were examined histopathologically in the right uterine horns. An uterine hypertrophy/hyperplasia model was established in all groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In the [M] and [M + E] groups, epithelial cell height and luminal epithelial cell height significantly decreased (41μm vs 12μm, p = 0.005; 14μm vs 10μm, p = 0.005, respectively for [M] group) and (32μm vs 14μm, p = 0.012; 17μm vs 10μm, p = 0.017, respectively for [M + E] group). The [D] group exhibited a significant decrease in epithelial cell height (33μm vs 20μm, p = 0.017). With or without estrogen exposure, melatonin-treated and physiologically melatonin-released rats experienced a significant uterine hypertrophy/hyperplasia recovery. Melatonin may have protective effects on endometrial hyperplasia.