Abstract
This study aimed at investigating the changes in activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and alkaline protease of soil samples exposed to electromagnetic radiations (EMR) from mobile phone for the periods of 0, 30, 60 and 90 days. EMR-unexposed soil samples served as the source of control enzyme activities. The mean enzyme activities from the EMR-exposed soil were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those from the unexposed samples. The overall percentage changes in enzymes activities of the EMR-unexposed and exposed soil samples for dehydrogenase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and alkaline protease relative to their respective starting values were 124.42 and -65.15%, 138.01 and -13.87%, 94.09 and 19.70%, 101.01 and -41.00%, and 162.55 and -21.71% respectively. The results show that EMR from mobile phones elicited significant negative impact on soil enzymes activities. Key words: Electromagnetic radiations, mobile phones, enzymes.
Highlights
The use of mobile phones in recent years has raised and continued to raise tremendous safety questions
Contrary to what the Telecommunication Industries proclaim, there are vast scientific, epidemiological and medical data that affirm that exposure to electromagnetic radiations from mobile phones and their towers, even at low levels, can have profound adverse effects on biological systems
The effects of non-ionizing radiation, emitted by mobile phones, in living cells have been widely reported, the mechanism of action has not been fully documented, though it is thought to be through the action of reactive oxygen species
Summary
The use of mobile phones in recent years has raised and continued to raise tremendous safety questions. This is because users are exposed to electromagnetic radiations, the effects of which on the body depend on their frequencies, durations and powers. There are wide ranges of data documenting the ability of non-ionizing radiations (NIR) to affect living cells, including changes in the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cells both in vitro and in vivo (Barnes, 1996). Contrary to what the Telecommunication Industries proclaim, there are vast scientific, epidemiological and medical data that affirm that exposure to electromagnetic radiations from mobile phones and their towers, even at low levels, can have profound adverse effects on biological systems Changes occur in cell metabolism and proliferation, inducing potentially damaging effects in various cell components ranging from the cytoplasmic membrane, where the distribution of proteins is modified (Bersani et al, 1997) to the cytoplasm itself and the nucleus, where the activities of intracellular enzymes and molecules regulating cell growth are altered (Hill, 1998).
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