Heating of Biological Tissue in the Induction Field of VHF Portable Radio Transmitters
Quirino Balzano, Oscar Garay, Frances R. Steel · 1978
1978 research showed VHF portable radios can heat human tissue above 10 mW/cm², establishing early evidence for EMF heating effects.
Plain English Summary
This 1978 study measured how VHF portable radio transmitters heat human tissue using detailed phantom models that simulated muscle, bone, and brain tissue. Researchers found that some commercially available radios produced power levels exceeding 10 mW/cm² on operators. The study used sophisticated tissue-mimicking materials to understand heating patterns in realistic body geometries.
Why This Matters
This early research represents a crucial moment in EMF science when researchers first began systematically measuring how radio frequency energy heats human tissue. The finding that some VHF radios exceeded 10 mW/cm² is significant because this level approaches what would later become safety thresholds. What makes this study particularly important is its use of anatomically realistic phantom models rather than simple geometric shapes, providing more accurate assessments of real-world exposure. The research demonstrates that even decades ago, scientists recognized the need to understand tissue heating from portable radio devices. Today's smartphones and wireless devices operate at similar or higher power levels, making these foundational heating measurements increasingly relevant to our daily EMF exposures.
Finding
The maximum power density penetrating the dummy is less than 1 mW/cm2 in the middle forehead. No detectable temperature increase is present in the immediate eye area.
In their words
“The maximum power density penetrating the dummy is less than 1 mW/cm2 in the middle forehead. No detectable temperature increase is present in the immediate eye area.”
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagram extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Show BibTeX
@article{heating_of_biological_tissue_in_the_induction_field_of_vhf_portable_radio_transm_g5301,
author = {Quirino Balzano and Oscar Garay and Frances R. Steel},
title = {Heating of Biological Tissue in the Induction Field of VHF Portable Radio Transmitters},
year = {1978},
}