Effect of Two Brands of Cell Phone on Germination Rate and Seedling of Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Rim A. Hussein^1, and Magda A. El-Maghraby¹

¹Environmental Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt

Cite this paper:
Rim A. Hussein and Magda A. El-Maghraby. Effect of Two Brands of Cell Phone on Germination Rate and Seedling of Wheat (Triticum aestivum). Journal of Environment Pollution and Human Health. 2014; 2(4):85-90. doi: 10.12691/jephh-2-4-3

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing the effect of radiation emitted from two brands of cell phones; in both (talking) and (non-talking) status, on the germination rate and the embryonic stem length of Wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum) following varying durations of exposure (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 up to 30 minutes) and from different distances from the cell phone (5cm, 10cm and 15cm). Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS 16. Regression models were used to estimate the adjusted predictability of germination rate and embryonic stem length. Exposure to cell phone radiation was found to have an inhibitory effect on germination rate and embryonic stem length of Wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum). As for germination rate, the inhibitory effect was not statistically significant for duration of exposure up to 30 minutes, a distance from the cell phone as close as 5 cm and with exposure to two different cell phone brands. On the other hand, significant decline in number of germinated seeds compared to control group was observed when cell phone was used in the (non-talking) status than in the (talking) status (p = .006). A logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effects of different variables on the likelihood of germination. According to the model, seeds exposed to cell phone brand B were .8 times less likely to germinate than those exposed to cell phone brand A. In addition, seeds exposed to cell phone in the non-talking status were .714 times less likely to germinate than those exposed to a talking cell phone. Concerning the effect on embryonic stem length, distance from cell phone, cell phone brand, and cell phone status (talking/non-talking) had statistically significant inhibitory effects on embryonic stem length of exposed seeds as determined by one-way ANOVA (p = .001, .000 and .007 respectively). A linear regression was performed to ascertain the effects of different variables. According to the model, distance from cell phone and cell phone brand negatively predicted embryonic stem length (B= -.218 and -.636 respectively). Cell phone brand was stronger predictor than distance from cell phone (p = .000 and .007 respectively). Based on the results obtained, one can conclude that there is a certain effect on germination rate and embryonic stem length from exposure to cell phone radiation. Such effect might be affecting human beings using cell phones. More studies are needed to clarify the basis of these effects in order to be able to prevent negative ones.

Keywords:
cell phone radiations germination rate embryonic stem length wheat (Triticum aestivum)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Ganghi G, Singh P. Cytogenetic damage in mobile phone users: preliminary data. Int J Hum Genet 2005, 5 (4): 259-65.
[2]	Moussa M. Review on health effectd related to cell phone. Part II: results and conclusions. Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association 2011, 86 (5-6): 79-89.
[3]	Balmori A. Electromagnetic pollution from phone masts. Effect on wildlife. Pathophysiology 2009, 16: 191-9.
[4]	Roux D, Vian A, Girard S, Bonnet P, Paladian F, Davies E, Ledoigt G. High frequency (900 MHz) low amplitude (5Vm−1) electromagnetic field: a genuine environmental stimulus that affects transcription, translation, calcium and energy charge in tomato. Planta 2007; 227: 883-91.
[5]	Tkalec M, Malarik K, Pevalek-Kozlina B. Exposure to radiofrequency radiation induces oxidative stress in duckweed Lemna minor L., Sci. Total Environ. 2007; 388: 78-89.
[6]	Sharma V, Singh H, Kohli R, Batish D. Cell phone radiation inhibits Vigna radiata (mung bean) root growth by inducing oxidative stress. Sci Total Environ 2009; 407(21): 5543-7.
[7]	Akbal A, Kiran Y, Sahin A, Turgut-Balik D, Balik H. Effect of electromagnetic waves emitted by cell phones on germination, root growth and root tip cell mitotic division of Lens culinaris Medik. Pol. J. Environ. Stud 2012; 21 (1): 23-9.
[8]	Tkalec M, Malaric K, Pavlica M, Kozlina B, Cifrek Z. Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on seed germination and root meristematic cells of Allium cepa L. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis 2009; 672 (2): 76-81.
[9]	Moisescu M, Leveque P, Bertrand J, Kovacs E, Mir L. Microscopic observation of living cells during their exposure to modulated electromagnetic fields. Bioelectrochemistry 2008, 74 (1): 9-15.
[10]	Sharma S, Parihar L. Effect of Cell Phone Radiation on Nodule Formation in the Leguminous Plants. Curr World Environ 2014; 9(1).
[11]	Kirby E. Botany of the wheat plant. In: Curtis B, Rajaram S, Macpherson H, eds. Bread wheat, improvement and production. FAO, Rome, 2002.
[12]	Fiddler L, Hecht L, Nelson EE, Nelson EN, Ross J. SPSS for Windows 16.0: A basic tutorial. Social Science Research and Instruction Center. California State University. [Internet] available @ http://www.ssric.org/trd/spss16. Last accessed on Aug 25th, 2014.
[13]	Singh H, Sharma V. Electromagnetic radiations from cell phone inhibit plant root growth through induction of oxidative damage. Epidemiology 2011; 22(1): 249.
[14]	Guyadin L. Do microwaves affect plant growth? Environ Mentor Program 2009 [Internet]. available @ http://pdfmonster.biz/search/Growth+Fetish//58#Do_Microwaves_Affect_Plant_Growth_John_Ohab. Accessed on Sep 19th, 2014.
[15]	Ragha L, Mishra S, Ramachandran V, Bhatia M. Effects of Low-Power Microwave Fields on Seed Germination and Growth Rate. Journal of Electromagnetic Analysis and Applications 2011, 3, 165-71
[16]	Aksoy U, Sahin S, Ozkoc S, Ergor G. The effect of electromagnetic waves on the growth of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar. Saudi Med J 2005, 26 (9): 1388-90.
[17]	Grigorevlu G. Biological effects of cell phone electromagnetic field on chick embryo (risk assessment using the mortality rate)]. Radiats Biol Radioecol 2003, 43 (5): 541-3.
[18]	Veterany L, Veteranyova A, Jedlicka J. Effect of magnetic fields on embryonic mortality. Cesk Fysiol 2001, 50 (3): 141-3.
[19]	Agarwal A, Deepinder F, Sharma RK, Ranga G, Li J. Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study. 2007. [Internet]. available @ http://www.clevelandclinic.org/reproductiveresearchcenter/docs/agradoc239.pdf.
[20]	Fejes I, Zavaczki Z, Szollosi J, Koloszar S, Daru J, Kovacs L, (Sept-Oct). Is there a relationship between cell phone use and semen quality? Arch Androl 2005 51(5): 385-393.
[21]	Arbabian S, Ramezani F, Majd A. Investigation of the effect of cell phone waves on seed germination and seedling ontogeny in Vicia faba. Journal of Plant Science Researches 2010, 5 (2): 56-62.
[22]	Environmental working group. Guide to safer cell phone use. August 2013 [internet], available @ http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/faq. Last accessed on Sep 16th, 2014.
[23]	Picazo M, Martinez E, Carbonell M, Raya A, Amaya J, Bardasano J. Inhibition in the growth of thistles (Cynara cardunculus) and lentils (Lens culinaris) due to chronic exposure to 50 Hz, 15 μT electromagnetic fields. Electro-and-magnetobiology 1999, 18 (2): 147-56.
[24]	Krishnan R, Murugan K. Effect of Cell Phone Radiation on Antioxidant Machinery in Roots of Onion (Allium cepa L.) Asian J. Exp. Biol Sci 2011, 2(4): 667-72.
[25]	Repacholi M. Low-level exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: health effects and research needs. Bioelectromagnetics 1998; 19: 1-19.