title: Acute effects of 30 minutes of exposure to a smartphone call on in vitro platelet function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Significant concerns are now regularly raised about the safety of excessive mobile phone use. This study was aimed to assess the acute effects of radiofrequency waves emitted by a commercial smartphone on platelet function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two sequential citrated blood samples were collected from 16 healthy volunteers recruited from laboratory staff. The first sample was placed in a plastic rack, 1 cm distant from a commercial smartphone receiving a 30-min call and emitting 900 MHz radiofrequency waves. The second sample was placed in another plastic rack, isolated from radiofrequency wave sources, for the same period. The platelet count and the mean platelet volume were then assessed in all blood samples, whereas platelet function was evaluated using the platelet function analyser-100 (PFA-100).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 30-min exposure of citrated blood to smartphone radiofrequency waves induced significant prolongation of collagen-epinephrine aggregation (median increase, 10%) and a considerable increase of mean platelet volume (median increase, 5%), whereas collagen-adenosine diphosphate aggregation and platelet count remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that smartphone radiofrequency waves induce significant perturbation of platelet structure and function, thus providing further support to concerns regarding excessive use of mobile phones. Caution should also be taken with regards to blood products containing platelets, which should be kept far away from mobile phones and smartphones throughout the production pipeline and storage period.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lippi
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danese
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brocco
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gelati
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Salvagno
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montagnana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063847:Mean Platelet Volume; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010979:Platelet Function Tests; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000068997:Smartphone