Electromagnetic absorption in the head of adults and children due to mobile phone operation close to the head.

Bioeffects Seen

de Salles AA, Bulla G, Rodriguez CE. · 2006

Children absorb 60% more cell phone radiation in their heads than adults, yet safety standards are based on adult models.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

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...

Cite This Study

de Salles AA, Bulla G, Rodriguez CE. (2006). Electromagnetic absorption in the head of adults and children due to mobile phone operation close to the head. Electromagn Biol Med. 2006;25(4):349-360, 2006.

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/},
}

PubMed: 17178592

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View all 63 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, 10-year-old children absorb over 60% more radiation at 1850 MHz frequencies than adults when using the same mobile phone. Computer simulations show children's smaller heads, thinner skulls, and different tissue properties allow deeper radiation penetration, resulting in significantly higher SAR values.

Children's heads absorb more 850 MHz radiation because they have smaller head dimensions, thinner skull bones, and different tissue electrical properties compared to adults. These anatomical differences allow radiofrequency energy to penetrate deeper into brain tissue, increasing radiation absorption rates.

SAR values in 10-year-old children are more than 60% higher than in adults when using identical mobile phones. Computer modeling studies demonstrate that children's anatomical differences cause significantly greater radiation absorption in head tissues during phone operation.

Yes, skull thickness significantly affects radiation absorption at cellular frequencies like 850 MHz and 1850 MHz. Children's thinner skulls provide less protection against radiofrequency penetration, allowing mobile phone radiation to reach deeper into brain tissue compared to adults.

Computer simulations using anatomically correct head models provide reliable measurements of radiation absorption in children versus adults. The 2006 de Salles study used detailed modeling to demonstrate that 10-year-olds absorb significantly more mobile phone radiation than adult users.