3,138 Studies Reviewed. 77.4% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Research Guide

WiFi in Schools: What Research Says About Children's Health

Based on 375 peer-reviewed studies

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Schools have rapidly adopted WiFi technology, exposing children to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields for 6-8 hours daily throughout their developmental years. This widespread exposure has prompted researchers to investigate potential health effects specific to children.

Children are not simply small adults when it comes to EMF exposure. Their skulls are thinner, their brain tissue has higher water content, and their nervous systems are still developing. These factors may make children more susceptible to any effects of RF-EMF exposure.

Here we examine the research on children, WiFi-frequency radiation, and health outcomes relevant to the school environment.

Key Research Findings

  • Children's brains absorb significantly more RF radiation than adult brains
  • Studies report effects on memory and attention in RF-exposed children
  • Cumulative exposure over school years raises unique considerations

Related Studies (375)

Transient and cumulative memory impairments induced by GSM 1.8 GHz cell phone signal in a mouse model

Ntzouni MP et al. · 2013

Researchers exposed mice to cell phone radiation (GSM 1.8 GHz) for 90 minutes daily to test effects on memory. After weeks of exposure, the mice showed significant problems with both spatial memory (remembering locations) and non-spatial memory (recognizing objects). These memory problems persisted for two weeks after radiation stopped but fully recovered after a month, suggesting the brain can repair this type of damage over time.

Effects of long-term electromagnetic field exposure on spatial learning and memory in rats.

Hao D, Yang L, Chen S, Tong J, Tian Y, Su B, Wu S, Zeng Y · 2013

Researchers exposed rats to 916 MHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for 6 hours daily over 10 weeks and tested their ability to navigate a maze to find food. The exposed rats showed significantly impaired learning and memory during weeks 4-5, taking longer to complete the maze and making more errors, while brain recordings revealed disrupted neuron firing patterns throughout the study.

Effect of low level microwave radiation exposure on cognitive function and oxidative stress in rats

Deshmukh PS et al. · 2013

Researchers exposed rats to extremely low-level cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for 2 hours daily over 30 days and found significant damage to memory and learning abilities. The study also detected increased oxidative stress in the blood, indicating cellular damage from free radicals. This matters because the radiation level used was far below current safety limits, yet still produced measurable biological effects.

Whole body exposure to 2.4 GHz WIFI signals: Effects on cognitive impairment in adult triple transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (3xTg-AD)

Banaceur S, Banasr S, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H · 2013

Researchers exposed mice genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer's-like symptoms to WiFi signals (2.4 GHz) for 2 hours daily over one month. Surprisingly, they found the WiFi exposure actually improved cognitive performance in the Alzheimer's mice compared to unexposed controls. This unexpected result suggests radiofrequency radiation might have some protective effects on brain function in certain disease states.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Cognitive and physiological responses in humans exposed to a TETRA base station signal in relation to perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

Wallace D et al. · 2012

Researchers tested whether TETRA radio signals (used by emergency services) affect brain function and physical responses in 183 people, including 51 who reported being sensitive to electromagnetic fields. Participants were exposed to 420 MHz signals at levels similar to living near a cell tower while performing memory and attention tests. The study found no differences in cognitive performance or physical responses between real exposure and fake exposure in either group.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Cognitive and physiological responses in humans exposed to a TETRA base station signal in relation to perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

Wallace D et al. · 2012

Researchers tested whether exposure to TETRA radio signals (used by emergency services) affects thinking ability and physical responses in people who consider themselves sensitive to electromagnetic fields. After exposing 183 participants to real and fake TETRA signals in a controlled study, they found no differences in memory, attention, heart rate, or other measured responses. This adds to evidence that radio frequency exposure at these levels doesn't produce detectable immediate effects on cognitive function or basic physiological responses.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Effects of mobile phone signals over BOLD response while performing a cognitive task

Curcio G et al. · 2012

Italian researchers used brain imaging (fMRI) to study whether 40 minutes of cell phone radiation exposure affects brain activity while people performed cognitive tasks. They compared real GSM phone signals to fake exposure and found no differences in brain activation patterns or reaction times. The study suggests that typical cell phone use doesn't produce detectable changes in brain function during cognitive tasks.

Prenatal and Postnatal Cell Phone Exposures and Headaches in Children.

Sudan M, Kheifets L, Arah O, Olsen J, Zeltzer L. · 2012

Researchers tracked over 52,000 Danish children from pregnancy through age seven to examine whether cell phone exposure increases headache risk. Children exposed to cell phones both before birth (through their mothers' use) and after birth had 30% higher odds of migraines and 32% higher odds of headache symptoms compared to unexposed children. While the study cannot prove cell phones directly cause headaches, the large population size and consistent pattern suggest a potential connection worth taking seriously.

Mobile phone emission modulates event-related desynchronization of α rhythms and cognitive-motor performance in healthy humans.

Vecchio F et al. · 2012

Researchers exposed 11 healthy adults to cell phone radiation for 45 minutes and measured their brain waves and reaction times during cognitive tasks. After exposure, participants showed altered brain wave patterns (alpha rhythms) and faster reaction times compared to a sham exposure session. The study suggests that cell phone radiation can measurably change brain activity and cognitive performance in healthy people.

Human short-term exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones decreases computer-assisted visual reaction time.

Mortazavi SM et al. · 2012

Researchers tested 160 university students to see how 10 minutes of mobile phone exposure affected their visual reaction times (how quickly they could respond to what they saw on a computer screen). They found that students reacted about 9 milliseconds faster after real phone exposure compared to fake exposure. The researchers suggest this faster reaction time might actually be beneficial, potentially reducing accidents by helping people respond more quickly to hazards.

A population-based case-control study of radiofrequency exposure in relation to childhood neoplasm.

Li CY, Liu CC, Chang YH, Chou LP, Ko MC. · 2012

Taiwanese researchers analyzed cancer rates in over 2,600 children living near cell phone towers, comparing them to nearly 78,000 healthy children. They found that children living in areas with higher radiofrequency radiation from cell towers had a 13% increased risk of developing cancer overall. While the increased risk for specific cancers like leukemia and brain tumors wasn't statistically significant, the pattern suggests concern about long-term exposure to tower radiation.

Reported functional impairments of electrohypersensitive Japanese: A questionnaire survey.

Kato Y, Johansson O. · 2012

Researchers surveyed 75 people in Japan who reported electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), a condition where individuals experience symptoms they attribute to EMF exposure from devices like cell phones and base stations. The study found that 85% reported severe fatigue, 81% experienced memory and concentration problems, and many had to make major life changes including job loss and relocating to avoid EMF sources. Most participants (65%) reported feeling sick from other people's mobile phones on public transportation, highlighting the profound social and economic impacts of this condition.

Effect of 60 minutes exposure to electromagnetic field on fecundity, learning and memory, speed of movement and whole body protein of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

El Kholy SE, El Husseiny EM. · 2012

Researchers exposed fruit fly larvae to electromagnetic fields from four different electrical devices, including mobile phones, for 60 minutes to study effects on behavior and proteins. They found that EMF exposure significantly altered learning and memory function and increased movement speed by 2.5 times in larvae exposed to mobile phones, while also changing protein patterns in the flies' bodies. These findings suggest that even brief EMF exposure can affect brain function and cellular processes in developing organisms.

Cell phone use and behavioural problems in young children.

Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J. · 2012

Danish researchers studied nearly 29,000 children to see if their mothers' cell phone use during pregnancy and the children's own early phone use affected behavior at age 7. They found that children exposed to cell phones both before birth and in early childhood were 50% more likely to have behavioral problems compared to unexposed children. This large study confirms earlier findings that cell phone radiation may interfere with normal brain development during critical early years.

GSM 900 MHz radiation inhibits ants' association between food sites and encountered cues.

Cammaerts MC et al. · 2012

Researchers exposed ant colonies to GSM 900 MHz cell phone radiation and studied how well the ants could learn to associate food locations with visual and scent cues. Under radiation exposure, the ants completely failed to form these memory associations, and when the radiation was removed, they could only partially recover their learning ability. Most dramatically, ants that had already learned these associations lost their memories within hours when re-exposed to the radiation, rather than the normal gradual forgetting over days.

Subjective complaints of people living near mobile phone base stations in Poland.

Bortkiewicz A et al. · 2012

Polish researchers surveyed 500 households living near cell phone towers to assess health symptoms and their relationship to EMF exposure. They found that 57% of residents reported headaches, with the highest rates occurring in people living 100-150 meters from towers, while memory problems were most common in those living farther away. Surprisingly, symptom frequency didn't correlate with measured electric field strength, suggesting current exposure assessment methods may be inadequate.

Electromagnetic Treatment to Old Alzheimer's Mice Reverses β-Amyloid Deposition, Modifies Cerebral Blood Flow, and Provides Selected Cognitive Benefit.

Arendash GW et al. · 2012

Researchers exposed very old mice (equivalent to elderly humans) with Alzheimer's disease to electromagnetic fields similar to cell phone radiation for two months. The treatment reversed brain damage by clearing out toxic protein clumps called beta-amyloid and improved memory performance. The benefits occurred without heating the brain, suggesting the electromagnetic fields worked through biological mechanisms rather than just thermal effects.

Subacute exposure to 50-Hz electromagnetic fields affect prenatal and neonatal mice’s motor coordination.

Sakhnini L, Al Ali H, Al Qassab N, Al Arab E, Kamal A. · 2012

Researchers exposed pregnant mice and newborn mice to 50-Hz electromagnetic fields (the same frequency used in electrical power systems) for five days and then tested their motor coordination skills. They found that mice exposed during pregnancy showed significant learning deficits when tested on a rotating rod device, while mice exposed only after birth showed no such problems. This suggests that developing brains may be particularly vulnerable to EMF exposure during the prenatal period.

Mobile phone emission modulates event-related desynchronization of α rhythms and cognitive-motor performance in healthy humans

Vecchio F et al. · 2012

Italian researchers exposed 11 healthy adults to cell phone radiation for 45 minutes and measured their brain activity during a cognitive task. After radiation exposure, participants showed altered brain wave patterns (specifically changes in alpha rhythms) and faster reaction times compared to a sham exposure session. This suggests that cell phone radiation can measurably change both brain activity and cognitive performance in real-time.

Electromagnetic treatment to old Alzheimer's mice reverses β-amyloid deposition, modifies cerebral blood flow, and provides selected cognitive benefit

Arendash GW et al. · 2012

Researchers exposed very old mice with Alzheimer's-like brain damage to cell phone frequency radiation (978 MHz) for two months. The EMF treatment actually reversed the buildup of toxic brain plaques and improved memory function without causing brain heating. This suggests that certain electromagnetic frequencies might help break down the protein clumps that characterize Alzheimer's disease.

Microwave radiation induced oxidative stress, cognitive impairment and inflammation in brain of Fischer rats.

Megha K et al. · 2012

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone-level microwave radiation (900 MHz and 1800 MHz) for 2 hours daily over 30 days and measured brain effects. The exposed rats showed significant cognitive impairment, increased brain inflammation, and oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) compared to unexposed rats. This suggests that chronic microwave exposure at levels similar to cell phone use may harm brain function and memory.

Further Reading

For a comprehensive exploration of EMF health effects and practical protection strategies, explore these books by R Blank and Dr. Martin Blank.