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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Influence of a 902.4 MHz GSM signal on the human visual system: investigation of the discrimination threshold.

No Effects Found

Irlenbusch L, Bartsch B, Cooper J, Herget I, Marx B, Raczek J, Thoss F. · 2007

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GSM phone signals showed no immediate effects on visual sensitivity at realistic exposure levels during short-term testing.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed 33 people to GSM mobile phone signals near their eyes to test whether radiofrequency radiation affects visual sensitivity (the ability to detect light differences). Using exposure levels similar to holding a phone close to your face, they found no measurable changes in visual discrimination abilities during 30-minute exposure sessions. This suggests that typical mobile phone use doesn't immediately impair basic visual function.

Why This Matters

This study addresses a practical concern many people have about holding phones close to their eyes during calls or video viewing. The research used SAR levels of 0.003-0.007 W/kg in the retina, which represents realistic exposure from phone use near the face. While finding no acute effects on visual discrimination is reassuring, this represents just one measure of eye function over a relatively short exposure period. The reality is that visual system effects from EMF exposure remain an understudied area, with most research focusing on other biological systems. What this means for you is that while this particular study found no immediate visual impairment, it doesn't address potential long-term effects or other aspects of eye health that warrant continued research and precautionary approaches to device use.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.003, 0.007 W/kg
Power Density
0.1 mW/cm²
Source/Device
902.4 MHz (pulsed with 217 Hz)
Exposure Duration
Intervals of about 10 s for two periods of 30 min, having a break of 5 min in between.

Exposure Context

This study used 0.1 mW/cm² for radio frequency:

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.1 mW/cm²Extreme Concern - 1,000 µW/m²FCC Limit - 10M µW/m²Effects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 10 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 217 Hz - 902.4 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 217 Hz - 902.4 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Influence of a 902.4 MHz GSM signal on the human visual system: investigation of the discrimination threshold.

The VDThr was measured for 33 subjects under standardized conditions. Each subject took part in two ...

No statistically significant differences in the VDThr were found in comparing the data obtained for ...

Cite This Study
Irlenbusch L, Bartsch B, Cooper J, Herget I, Marx B, Raczek J, Thoss F. (2007). Influence of a 902.4 MHz GSM signal on the human visual system: investigation of the discrimination threshold. Bioelectromagnetics. 28(8):648-654, 2007.
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2007_influence_of_a_9024_3106,
  author = {Irlenbusch L and Bartsch B and Cooper J and Herget I and Marx B and Raczek J and Thoss F.},
  title = {Influence of a 902.4 MHz GSM signal on the human visual system: investigation of the discrimination threshold.},
  year = {2007},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17654531/},
}
PubMed: 17654531

Cited By (16 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

No, 902.4 MHz GSM radiation does not affect visual sensitivity according to a 2007 study. Researchers exposed 33 people to mobile phone signals near their eyes for 30 minutes and found no measurable changes in their ability to detect light differences or visual discrimination abilities.
Holding a phone close to your face does not damage vision based on scientific testing. A controlled study using GSM signals at levels similar to phone-to-face proximity found no impairment in basic visual function during 30-minute exposure sessions in 33 participants.
217 Hz pulsed cell phone radiation does not hurt your eyes or impair vision. Research testing this specific pulsing frequency found no statistically significant differences in visual discrimination threshold between radiation exposure and sham exposure conditions in human subjects.
You can safely expose your eyes to GSM signals for at least 30 minutes without visual impairment, according to research findings. The study found no immediate effects on visual sensitivity during this exposure duration, suggesting typical mobile phone use doesn't harm basic eye function.
Mobile phone radiation near your eyes does not cause immediate vision problems. Testing with 902.4 MHz GSM signals showed no measurable changes in participants' ability to detect visual differences, indicating that typical phone use doesn't immediately impair eyesight or visual processing.