Electromagnetic absorption in the head of adults and children due to mobile phone operation close to the head.
de Salles AA, Bulla G, Rodriguez CE. · 2006
View Original AbstractChildren absorb 60% more cell phone radiation in their heads than adults, yet safety standards are based on adult models.
Plain English Summary
Researchers used computer simulations to compare how much radiofrequency radiation children's heads absorb from mobile phones compared to adults. They found that 10-year-old children absorb over 60% more radiation in their heads than adults when using the same phone. This happens because children have smaller heads, thinner skulls, and different tissue properties that allow deeper radiation penetration.
Why This Matters
This research reveals a fundamental problem with current safety standards: they're based on adult models, yet children face significantly higher exposures. The 60% increase in radiation absorption isn't trivial - it represents a substantial difference in biological dose. What makes this particularly concerning is that children's developing nervous systems may be more vulnerable to EMF effects, yet they're receiving higher exposures than the adults on whom safety limits were based. The science demonstrates that one-size-fits-all safety standards don't account for the reality of how different age groups absorb radiation. While the telecommunications industry continues to market devices to younger users, this study adds to growing evidence that children need special protection, not exposure to adult-calibrated radiation levels.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 1850 MHz and 850 MHz
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Electromagnetic absorption in the head of adults and children due to mobile phone operation close to the head.
The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) produced by mobile phones in the head of adults and children is s...
The SAR results are compared with the available international recommendations. It is shown that unde...
Show BibTeX
@article{aa_2006_electromagnetic_absorption_in_the_2021,
author = {de Salles AA and Bulla G and Rodriguez CE.},
title = {Electromagnetic absorption in the head of adults and children due to mobile phone operation close to the head.},
year = {2006},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17178592/},
}