Radiations and male fertility
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Date
2018Author
Kesari, Kavindra Kumar
Agarwal, Ashok
Henkel, Ralf
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During recent years, an increasing percentage of male infertility has to be attributed to an array of environmental,
health and lifestyle factors. Male infertility is likely to be affected by the intense exposure to heat and extreme
exposure to pesticides, radiations, radioactivity and other hazardous substances. We are surrounded by several types
of ionizing and non-ionizing radiations and both have recognized causative effects on spermatogenesis. Since it is
impossible to cover all types of radiation sources and their biological effects under a single title, this review is
focusing on radiation deriving from cell phones, laptops, Wi-Fi and microwave ovens, as these are the most
common sources of non-ionizing radiations, which may contribute to the cause of infertility by exploring the effect
of exposure to radiofrequency radiations on the male fertility pattern. From currently available studies it is clear that
radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have deleterious effects on sperm parameters (like sperm count,
morphology, motility), affects the role of kinases in cellular metabolism and the endocrine system, and produces
genotoxicity, genomic instability and oxidative stress. This is followed with protective measures for these radiations
and future recommendations. The study concludes that the RF-EMF may induce oxidative stress with an increased
level of reactive oxygen species, which may lead to infertility. This has been concluded based on available
evidences from in vitro and in vivo studies suggesting that RF-EMF exposure negatively affects sperm quality.