Radiological Impact of Smartphone Usage on Antibiotic Resistance in Ear Microbiota: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Extended use of mobile phones has been found to cause harm to the inner ear, as indicated by the discovery that individuals who frequently use cell phones exhibit measurable hearing loss that may not be immediately noticeable.


Objective: This study aims to analyze and determine the radiological impact of smartphone radiation on the enhancement of the resistance of indigenous bacterial flora.


Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting a total of 100 ear swab samples from students at Diyala University. Participants were recruited from three distinct academic departments: Science (n=52), Geography (n=33), and Sports (n=14). For each participant, relevant demographic and clinical data were documented to facilitate subsequent analysis.


Results: Microbiological isolation and identification tests revealed the following prevalence of bacterial species: Staphylococcus epidermidis (45.3%), Enterobacter spp. (20.0%), Pseudomonas spp. (17.3%), Escherichia coli (10.0%), and Proteus spp. (6.6%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated distinct resistance profiles. The highest resistance was observed in Staphylococcus epidermidis to Cefoxitin (CX), Enterobacter spp. to Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (AMC), Pseudomonas spp. to Clindamycin (DA), and Escherichia coli to AMC. Proteus spp. exhibited high-level resistance to both DA and AMC. Furthermore, exposure to mobile phone radiation was associated with a measurable alteration in the diameter of inhibition zones for all tested bacterial species, with the magnitude of effect varying between genera.


Conclusion: The study found that bacteria from students showed varying antibiotic resistance, with Staphylococcus epidermidis being the most common and resistant. Mobile phone radiation caused noticeable changes in bacterial inhibition zones, suggesting a possible link between radiation exposure and increased antibiotic resistance.