Evaluation of Micronuclei in Buccal Smears of Mobile Phone Users: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Overview

The use of mobile phones has dramatically increased, raising significant health concerns related to the radiation these devices emit. This study focuses on assessing the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in exfoliated oral mucosal cells among different categories of mobile phone users.

Materials and Methods

• 50 subjects were divided into two groups: low mobile phone users and high mobile phone users.
• High talk time users: >10 hours per week.
• Low talk time users: <4–5 hours per week.
• Micronuclei evaluation was performed on 1000 cells per individual using a microscope.

Findings

Significant findings include:

• Increase in MN counts in high mobile phone users compared to low users.
• Users of CDMA phones had a higher mean MN count than those using GSM phones.
• Non-headphone users exhibited increased MN counts compared to headphone users.
• The side of the face most frequently used for talking had a higher MN count.

Conclusion

Mobile phone radiation, when used excessively, is shown to cause significant genotoxic effects, even within the permissible radiation limits. Usage of headphones can mitigate some of these genotoxic effects. More radiation and increased temperature when the phone is used more on one side could explain the asymmetry in genotoxicity observed.