Cell Phone Radiation Releases Mercury from Dental Fillings

A study from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences shows that microwave radiation from cell phones increased the release of mercury from dental amalgam restoration. Here's a summary of the study, with excerpts from the report...

Fourteen female healthy University students aged 19-23 years who had not used mobile phones before the study and did not have any previous amalgam restorations but had more than 4 teeth decayed were investigated. Their urine samples were collected before amalgam restoration and one hour after mobile phone use at days 1, 2, 3 and 4 after restoration. Dental amalgam restorations were performed for all 14 students, with identical volume and surface area of the amalgam fillings. They all were asked not to use sea food, canned food and hot tea/coffee from one week before the study to final sampling at day 4 after amalgam restoration.
The students were randomly divided into two equal groups. The test group students were exposed to microwave radiation emitted from a Nokia 3310 mobile phone (SAR = 0.96 W kg"1) that was operated in talk mode for 15 min every day at days 1-4 after restoration. The other seven female age matched students who served as controls, sham exposed to microwave radiation. For each subject of the two studies, a questionnaire regarding their possible sources of exposure to electromagnetic fields or microwave radiation, occupation, medical history and life style was filled out.

The results: An elevated urinary mercury concentration released from dental amalgam fillings was observed in students exposed to microwave radiation emitted from mobile phones.

Although the amount of released mercury from dental amalgam is not sufficient for causing a toxic effect in humans, potential toxicity due to exposure to mercury vapor (Hg) from dental amalgam fillings is still the subject of current public health debate in many countries. Despite there is no evidence that dental amalgams cause health problems in the majority of the population, the effects of dental amalgam on specific groups, including pregnant women, small children, elderly and people who are especially sensitive to mercury is not clearly known.