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Brain & Nervous System

Thermal effects of mobile phone RF fields on children: a provocation study.

No Effects Found

Lindholm H, Alanko T, Rintamäki H, Kännälä S, Toivonen T, Sistonen H, Tiikkaja M, Halonen J, Mäkinen T, Hietanen M. · 2011

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Fifteen minutes of mobile phone exposure produced no detectable thermal effects in teenage boys' heads, but longer exposures remain unstudied.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Finnish researchers exposed 26 teenage boys (ages 14-15) to GSM 900 mobile phone radiation for 15 minutes to measure thermal effects and blood flow changes in their heads. They found no significant increases in ear canal temperature, no changes in local brain blood flow, and no interference with the autonomic nervous system. This controlled study suggests that short-term mobile phone exposure at typical power levels doesn't produce measurable thermal effects in adolescents' heads.

Exposure Information

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

The study examined exposure from: GSM 900 Duration: 15 min each

Study Details

The aim of this study was to examine thermal and local blood flow responses in the head area of the preadolescent boys during exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields produced by a GSM mobile phone.

The design was a double-blinded sham-controlled study of 26 boys, aged 14-15 years. The SAR distribu...

During the short-term RF exposure, local cerebral blood flow did not change, the ear canal temperatu...

Cite This Study
Lindholm H, Alanko T, Rintamäki H, Kännälä S, Toivonen T, Sistonen H, Tiikkaja M, Halonen J, Mäkinen T, Hietanen M. (2011). Thermal effects of mobile phone RF fields on children: a provocation study. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 107(3):399-403, 2011.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_2011_thermal_effects_of_mobile_3199,
  author = {Lindholm H and Alanko T and Rintamäki H and Kännälä S and Toivonen T and Sistonen H and Tiikkaja M and Halonen J and Mäkinen T and Hietanen M.},
  title = {Thermal effects of mobile phone RF fields on children: a provocation study.},
  year = {2011},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21930149/},
}
PubMed: 21930149

Cited By (25 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2011 Finnish study found no significant brain heating in teenage boys exposed to GSM 900 cell phone radiation for 15 minutes. Researchers measured ear canal temperature and found no meaningful increases, suggesting typical phone use doesn't produce measurable thermal effects in adolescent heads.
Research on 26 teenage boys showed no changes in local brain blood flow during 15-minute exposure to GSM 900 mobile phone radiation. The controlled study monitored cerebral circulation and found cell phone RF fields didn't alter normal blood flow patterns in the brain.
A Finnish study found no interference with the autonomic nervous system in teenage boys exposed to GSM 900 cell phone radiation. The research monitored multiple physiological responses and detected no significant effects on nervous system function during short-term exposure.
Research suggests minimal thermal risks from typical cell phone use. A 2011 study exposing teenagers to GSM 900 radiation for 15 minutes found no significant temperature increases or heat-related effects, indicating standard phone usage doesn't produce concerning thermal changes.
Studies show phone radiation doesn't significantly impact children's body temperature. Finnish researchers found no meaningful temperature increases in teenage boys' ear canals during 15-minute GSM 900 exposure, suggesting cell phones don't cause detectable thermal effects in young users.