A laptop connected wirelessly to the Internet may cause decrease in male fertility, according to a new study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
Sperm exposed to the Wi-Fi showed a significant decrease in male fertility and progressive sperm motility, meaning it was less capable of traveling toward an egg to fertilize it, and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation, meaning it is less capable of passing on the men’s DNA if it gets to fertilize an egg, according to researchers.
“Our data suggest that the use of a laptop computer wirelessly connected to the internet and positioned near the male reproductive organs may decrease human sperm quality and male fertility,” scientists from Argentina who conducted the research said on their report.
For the study, researchers placed sperm under a laptop as it was running a Wi-Fi connection and then clicked the button for download.
Four hours later they found that a quarter of the sperm were no longer swimming around and male fertility was reduced. That was higher than 14 percent from semen samples stored away from the computer. Both samples of semen were under the same temperature.
Researchers also noted that 9 percent of the sperm placed under the laptop showed DNA damage, three times more than comparison samples.
“At present we do not know whether this effect is induced by all laptop computers connected by Wi-Fi to the internet or what use conditions heighten this effect,” the Argentinean Scientists said.
The study raises concerns about findings from other researchers. Last year for example, a study led by the State University of New York at Sony Brook found that sitting with a laptop in their lap affected sperm quality and male fertility in men because the computer caused the men’s scrotums to overheat.
Source: Medical Daily