Mobiles could trigger allergies
1 March 2002
Mobile phone users who have metal allergies may be at risk of allergic contact dermatitis on the cheek, report Japanese doctors.
In a report in Archives of Dermatology, doctors described 3 cases where contact with the metal plate on the front of a mobile phone led to an itchy, red rash on the left cheek.
In the first case, a 35-year-old woman developed the rash about 2 weeks after she started to use a new phone.
She had used it for about 2 hours a day, mainly on her left side. She did not usually wear make-up.
Patch testing for various metals was positive for potassium dichromate. It turned out that the pink part of the phone that rested against her left cheek was plated with chromium.
Ten days after she stopped using the phone, her dermatitis cleared up.
The doctors said they saw similar rashes on 2 boys aged 14 and 18. Their rashes developed about 10 days after using a mobile phone on their left side. Both also tested positive for potassium dichromate.
Chromate is a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis, but chromium metal does not cause allergies. However, chromium metal released by mobile phones could react with sweat and saliva, especially in hot and humid climates, to become allergenic, said the doctors.
Last Reviewed: 04 March 2002
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