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SAR / Device Absorption193 citations

Differences in energy absorption between heads of adults and children in the near field of sources.

No Effects Found

Schonborn F, Burkhardt M, Kuster N · 1998

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The results revealed no significant differences in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the near field of sources between adults and children.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

In order to investigate the differences in absorption between adults and children due to their differing anatomies, simulations were performed using head phantoms based on MRI scans of an adult and two children aged 3 and 7 years. Ten different tissue types were distinguished and all simulations were performed using a commercial code based on the finite integration technique. The differences in absorption were investigated for the frequencies of 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz using 0.45 lambda dipoles instead of actual mobile phones. The results revealed no significant differences in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the near field of sources between adults and children.

Why This Matters

The study was motivated by a recent article that reported substantially greater absorption in children's heads at 835 MHz, which contradicted other studies. The authors noted that clarification was crucial because FCC SAR evaluations only use adult head phantoms. Well-defined dipole sources simplified the investigation and facilitated comparison with earlier studies on adult phantoms. The same conclusion of no significant differences held when children were approximated as scaled adults.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz - 1.80 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHz - 1.80 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz

Study Details

This paper was motivated by a recent article in which the levels of electromagnetic energy absorbed in the heads of mobile phone users were compared for children and adults at the frequencies of 835 MHz and 1,900 MHz. Significant differences were found, in particular substantially greater absorption in children's heads at 835 MHz. These findings contradict other studies in which no significant changes had been postulated. The clarification of this issue is crucial to the mobile communications industry since current SAR evaluations as required by the FCC are only performed with phantoms based on the heads of adults.

In order to investigate the differences in absorption between adults and children due to their diffe...

These well-defined sources simplified the investigation and facilitated the comparison to previously...

The results revealed no significant differences in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the near field of sources between adults and children. The same conclusion holds when children are approximated as scaled adults.

Cite This Study
Schonborn F, Burkhardt M, Kuster N (1998). Differences in energy absorption between heads of adults and children in the near field of sources. Health Phys 74(2):160-168, 1998. .
Show BibTeX
@article{f_1998_differences_in_energy_absorption_3378,
  author = {Schonborn F and Burkhardt M and Kuster N},
  title = {Differences in energy absorption between heads of adults and children in the near field of sources.},
  year = {1998},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9450585/},
}
PubMed: 9450585

Cited By (193 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

The results revealed no significant differences in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the near field of sources between adults and children.
Simulations used head phantoms based on MRI scans of an adult and two children aged 3 and 7 years, with ten tissue types distinguished.
The differences in absorption were investigated for the frequencies of 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz using 0.45 lambda dipoles instead of actual mobile phones.
The paper was motivated by a recent article that found substantially greater absorption in children's heads at 835 MHz, which contradicted other studies, and clarification was crucial because FCC SAR evaluations only use adult phantoms.
The same conclusion of no significant differences held when children were approximated as scaled adults.