Effects of UMTS cellular phones on human hearing: results of the European project EMFnEAR
No Effects Found
Parazzini M, Sibella F, Lutman ME, Mishra S, Moulin A, Sliwinska-Kowalska M, Woznicka E, Politanski P, Zmyslony M, Thuroczy G, Molnár F, Kubinyi G, Tavartkiladze G, Bronyakin S, Uloziene I, Uloza V, Gradauskiene E, Ravazzani P. ·2009
Twenty minutes of cell phone radiation at maximum power caused no immediate hearing damage in 134 people.
Plain English Summary
Summary written for general audiences
Researchers exposed 134 healthy young adults to 20 minutes of radiofrequency radiation from UMTS mobile phones at maximum power while testing their hearing function before and after exposure. The study found no consistent changes in hearing ability, ear function, or auditory processing after the RF exposure. This suggests that short-term exposure to cell phone radiation at typical usage levels does not cause immediate measurable damage to human hearing.
Exposure Information
The study examined exposure from: 1,947 MHz Duration: 20 min
Study Details
The European project EMFnEAR was undertaken to assess potential changes in human auditory function after a short-term exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation produced by UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) mobile phones.
Participants were healthy young adults with no hearing or ear disorders. Auditory function was asses...
Results from 134 participants did not show any consistent pattern of effects on the auditory system...
It is concluded that UMTS short-term exposure at the maximum output of consumer mobile phones does not cause measurable immediate effects on the human auditory system.
Cite This Study
Parazzini M, Sibella F, Lutman ME, Mishra S, Moulin A, Sliwinska-Kowalska M, Woznicka E, Politanski P, Zmyslony M, Thuroczy G, Molnár F, Kubinyi G, Tavartkiladze G, Bronyakin S, Uloziene I, Uloza V, Gradauskiene E, Ravazzani P. (2009). Effects of UMTS cellular phones on human hearing: results of the European project EMFnEAR Radiat Res. 172(2):244-251, 2009.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2009_effects_of_umts_cellular_2793,
author = {Parazzini M and Sibella F and Lutman ME and Mishra S and Moulin A and Sliwinska-Kowalska M and Woznicka E and Politanski P and Zmyslony M and Thuroczy G and Molnár F and Kubinyi G and Tavartkiladze G and Bronyakin S and Uloziene I and Uloza V and Gradauskiene E and Ravazzani P. },
title = {Effects of UMTS cellular phones on human hearing: results of the European project EMFnEAR},
year = {2009},
url = {https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article-abstract/172/2/244/48215},
}
Quick Questions About This Study
No, UMTS 3G phone radiation does not damage hearing. A 2009 European study exposed 134 young adults to 20 minutes of maximum-power UMTS radiation (1,947 MHz) and found no consistent changes in hearing ability or ear function after exposure.
Twenty minutes of cell phone use does not affect auditory processing. Research testing 134 participants found no measurable changes in hearing function or auditory processing after 20-minute exposure to maximum-power UMTS phones at 1,947 MHz frequency.
No, 1947 MHz radiation from UMTS phones is not bad for your ears. The EMFnEAR study found no significant effects on the human auditory system after exposure to this frequency at maximum phone output power.
Maximum power UMTS exposure does not cause immediate hearing loss. A controlled study with 134 participants showed no consistent pattern of hearing damage after 20-minute exposure to UMTS phones operating at maximum output.
Short-term 3G phone radiation does not affect cochlea function. Research measuring 69 mW/kg SAR in the cochlea region found no measurable immediate effects on human auditory system function after UMTS exposure at maximum phone power.
