Effects of GSM-like radiofrequency on distortion product otoacoustic emissions of rabbits: comparison of infants versus adults.
Budak GG, Muluk NB, Budak B, Oztürk GG, Apan A, Seyhan N. · 2009
View Original AbstractAdult rabbit hearing showed more damage than infant hearing after one week of cell phone radiation exposure, challenging assumptions about age-related EMF vulnerability.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed infant and adult female rabbits to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz GSM) for 15 minutes daily over 7 days and measured their hearing function using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), which test how well the inner ear responds to sound. Adult rabbits showed significant hearing damage across most frequencies tested, while infant rabbits actually showed some improved responses at certain frequencies. This suggests that developing ears may be more resilient to radiofrequency damage than mature ones, possibly due to higher water content in young ear structures.
Why This Matters
This study challenges the common assumption that children are universally more vulnerable to EMF effects. While we know that children's developing tissues generally absorb more radiation than adults, this research suggests the inner ear may be an exception. The 1800 MHz frequency used matches older 2G cell phone technology, and while the specific power levels weren't reported, the 15-minute daily exposure is comparable to moderate phone use. What makes this particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable biological effects from relatively short-term exposure - just one week of brief daily sessions. The finding that adult hearing was more susceptible to damage adds to growing evidence that EMF effects vary significantly by age, tissue type, and developmental stage. This research reinforces that we need more nuanced understanding of how radiofrequency radiation affects different populations rather than broad generalizations about vulnerability.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 1800 MHz Duration: 15 min daily for 7 days
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate the potential hazardous effects of 1800 MHz Global System for Mobile Communications-like (GSM-like) Radiofrequency (RF) exposure on the cochlear functions of female infant and adult rabbits by measuring Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) response amplitudes.
Eighteen each one-month-old New Zealand White female rabbits and eighteen each 13-month-old adult ra...
At 1.0-2.0 and 6.0 kHz, the mean DPOAE values of Group 2 were significantly higher than that of Grou...
Harmful effects of GSM-like 1800 MHz RF exposure was detected more in the adult female rabbits than infant female rabbits by DPOAE measurement. Prolonged exposure and hyperthermia related to the power density of applied RFR, increasing the temperature in the ear canal, may decrease the DPOAE amplitudes. Water containing medium in the middle ear of infant rabbits may play the protective role **from the RF damage.
Show BibTeX
@article{gg_2009_effects_of_gsmlike_radiofrequency_1930,
author = {Budak GG and Muluk NB and Budak B and Oztürk GG and Apan A and Seyhan N.},
title = {Effects of GSM-like radiofrequency on distortion product otoacoustic emissions of rabbits: comparison of infants versus adults.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19477533/},
}