Comparison of FDTD-calculated specific absorption rate in adults and children when using a mobile phone at 900 and 1800 MHz.
Martinez-Burdalo M, Martin A, Anguiano M, Villar R · 2004
View Original AbstractChildren's brains absorb a higher percentage of cell phone radiation than adults due to thinner skulls and smaller head size.
Plain English Summary
Researchers used computer modeling to compare how much cell phone radiation is absorbed by adult versus child head models at common cell phone frequencies. They found that while smaller heads absorb less total radiation, children's brains absorb a higher percentage of that energy due to their thinner skulls and smaller head size. This suggests children may face greater brain exposure to cell phone radiation than current safety standards account for.
Why This Matters
This research reveals a critical gap in how we assess cell phone safety for children. Current safety standards are based on adult head models, but this study demonstrates that children's developing brains may absorb proportionally more radiation than adults when using the same device. The science shows this isn't just about head size - it's about the fundamental differences in tissue thickness and composition between children and adults. What this means for you as a parent is that the safety limits your child's phone must meet were never designed with their unique physiology in mind. The reality is that a one-size-fits-all approach to EMF safety may be leaving our most vulnerable population inadequately protected.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 and 1800 MHz
Study Details
In this paper, the specific absorption rate (SAR) in scaled human head models is analysed to study possible differences between SAR in the heads of adults and children and for assessment of compliance with the international safety guidelines, while using a mobile phone.
The finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) has been used for calculating SAR values for models ...
Results show that peak SAR1 g and peak SAR10 g all trend downwards with decreasing head size but as ...
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2004_comparison_of_fdtdcalculated_specific_2415,
author = {Martinez-Burdalo M and Martin A and Anguiano M and Villar R},
title = {Comparison of FDTD-calculated specific absorption rate in adults and children when using a mobile phone at 900 and 1800 MHz.},
year = {2004},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15083675/},
}