Abstract
Background: The effect of radiofrequency exposure on human health and health care equipment is a matter of ongoing debate. This study was planned to investigate the influence of radiofrequency (RF) waves emitted by a commercial mobile phone on red blood cells (RBC) in vitro.
Methods: The study population consisted of 16 ostensibly healthy volunteers. Two whole blood specimens were collected from each volunteer. One sample was placed in a plastic rack, 1 cm distant from the chassis of a commercial mobile phone which was activated by a remote phone call lasting 30 min. The other blood sample was placed in another plastic rack, but was kept distant from any type of RF source. The main RBC parameters including RBC count, hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin, mean corpuscular platelet volume (MPV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and RBC distribution width (RDW-CV) were assessed with an Advia 2120.
Results: The exposure of whole blood to the mobile phone call significantly increased Ht, hemoglobin, MCV and MCH, whereas the RBC count, MCHC and RDW-CV remained unchanged. A significant correlation was observed between variation of Ht and those of hemoglobin (p=0.008), MCV (p=0.009) or MCH (p=0.037), as well as between hemoglobin and MCV (p=0.048). Increased values were found in 13/16 (81%) samples for both Ht and hemoglobin, 14/16 (88%) samples for MCH and 16/16 (100%) samples for MCV.
Conclusions: These results suggest that close mobile phone exposure may be an unappreciated and possibly underestimated cause of preanalytical bias in RBC testing.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
References
1. Lippi G, Plebani M. Laboratory applications for smartphones: risk or opportunity? Clin Biochem 2011;44:273–4.10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2010.12.016Search in Google Scholar
2. Ventola CL. Mobile devices and apps for health care professionals: uses and benefits. P T 2014;39:356–64.Search in Google Scholar
3. Jutel A. Lupton D. Digitizing diagnosis: a review of mobile applications in the diagnostic process. Diagnosis 2015;2:89–96.10.1515/dx-2014-0068Search in Google Scholar
4. Piva E, Pelloso M, Penello L, Plebani M. Laboratory critical values: automated notification supports effective clinical decision making. Clin Biochem 2014;47:1163–8.10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2014.05.056Search in Google Scholar
5. World health Organization. Electromagnetic fields and public health: mobile phones. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/. Accessed: 19 Mar 2016.Search in Google Scholar
6. Baan R, Grosse Y, Lauby-Secretan B, El Ghissassi F, Bouvard V, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, et al. Carcinogenicity of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Lancet Oncol 2011;12:624–6.10.1016/S1470-2045(11)70147-4Search in Google Scholar
7. Panda NK, Jain R, Bakshi J, Munjal S. Audiologic disturbances in long-term mobile phone users. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2010;39:5–11.Search in Google Scholar
8. Velayutham P, Govindasamy GK, Raman R, Prepageran N, Ng KH. High-frequency hearing loss among mobile phone users. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2014;66:169–72.10.1007/s12070-011-0406-4Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
9. Liu K, Li Y, Zhang G, Liu J, Cao J, Ao L, et al. Association between mobile phone use and semen quality: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Andrology 2014;2:491–501.10.1111/j.2047-2927.2014.00205.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
10. Mortazavi S, Gholampour M, Haghani M, Mortazavi G, Mortazavi A. Electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation emitted from GSM mobile phones decreases the accuracy of home blood glucose monitors. J Biomed Phys Eng 2014;4:111–6.Search in Google Scholar
11. Eslami J, Ghafaripour F, Mortazavi SA, Mortazavi SM, Shojaei-Fard MB. Can the accuracy of home blood glucose monitors be affected by the received signal strength of 900 MHz GSM mobile phones? J Biomed Phys Eng 2015;5:191–8.Search in Google Scholar
12. Pashazadeh AM, Dehkordi FJ, Tanha K, Assadi M. The effect of electromagnetic field generated by a mobile phone on the performance of a SPECT scanner: a quantitative study. Clin Nucl Med 2015;40:545–7.10.1097/RLU.0000000000000781Search in Google Scholar PubMed
13. Mahmoud Pashazadeh A, Aghajani M, Nabipour I, Assadi M. An update on mobile phones interference with medical devices. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2013;156:401–6.10.1093/rpd/nct091Search in Google Scholar PubMed
14. Mousavy SJ, Riazi GH, Kamarei M, Aliakbarian H, Sattarahmady N, Sharifizadeh A, et al. Effects of mobile phone radiofrequency on the structure and function of the normal human hemoglobin. Int J Biol Macromol 2009;44:278–85.10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2009.01.001Search in Google Scholar PubMed
15. Lippi G, Pavesi F, Bardi M, Pipitone S. Lack of harmonization of red blood cell distribution width (RDW). Evaluation of four hematological analyzers. Clin Biochem 2014;47:1100–3.10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2014.06.003Search in Google Scholar PubMed
16. Carpenter DO. Human disease resulting from exposure to electromagnetic fields. Rev Environ Health 2013;28:159–72.10.1515/reveh-2013-0016Search in Google Scholar PubMed
17. Buckus R, Strukcinskiene B, Raistenskis J. The assessment of electromagnetic field radiation exposure for mobile phone users. Vojnosanit Pregl 2014;71:1138–43.10.2298/VSP140119013BSearch in Google Scholar
18. Morgan LL, Miller AB, Sasco A, Davis DL. Mobile phone radiation causes brain tumors and should be classified as a probable human carcinogen (2A) (review). Int J Oncol 2015;46:1865–71.10.3892/ijo.2015.2908Search in Google Scholar PubMed
19. Lippi G, Danese E, Brocco G, Benati M, Salvagno GL, Montagnana M, et al. Thirty-minutes’ exposure to smartphone call triggers neutrophil activation in vitro. Clin Chem Lab Med 2016 Feb 12. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2015-1242. [Epub ahead of print].10.1515/cclm-2015-1242Search in Google Scholar PubMed
20. Coskun O, Comlekci S. The influence of pulsed electric field on hematological parameters in rat. Toxicol Ind Health 2013;29:862–6.10.1177/0748233712446724Search in Google Scholar PubMed
21. Esfahani MS, Radmehr B, Kohbodi A. Detection of probable effects of microwave exposure of blood parameters of RBC, PCV and Hb in rat. Pak J Biol Sci 2007;10:4567–9.10.3923/pjbs.2007.4567.4569Search in Google Scholar PubMed
22. El-Bediwi AB, Saad M, El-kott AF, Eid E. Influence of electromagnetic radiation produced by mobile phone on some biophysical blood properties in rats. Cell Biochem Biophys 2013;65:297–300.10.1007/s12013-012-9432-4Search in Google Scholar PubMed
23. Yong J, Ruan P, Shen H. Monitoring the radiation injury of red blood cells to micowave radiation with different power density. Engineering 2013;5:450–4.10.4236/eng.2013.510B092Search in Google Scholar
24. Huang D, Dong ZF, Chen Y, Wang FB, Wei Z, Zhao WB, et al. Interference of GSM mobile phones with communication between Cardiac Rhythm Management devices and programmers: a combined in vivo and in vitro study. Bioelectromagnetics 2015;36:367–76.10.1002/bem.21911Search in Google Scholar PubMed
©2016 by De Gruyter