SAR in the mother and foetus for RF plane wave irradiation.
Dimbylow P. · 2007
View Original AbstractComputer models show developing babies absorb radiofrequency radiation differently than adults, but current safety limits appear protective during pregnancy.
Plain English Summary
Researchers created detailed computer models of pregnant women at different stages of pregnancy (8 to 38 weeks) to measure how radiofrequency radiation is absorbed by both the mother and developing baby. They found that current safety guidelines appear to provide adequate protection for the fetus, with radiation absorption levels staying within established limits across all pregnancy stages tested.
Why This Matters
This computational modeling study provides crucial data about EMF exposure during one of life's most vulnerable periods. The research demonstrates that developing fetuses can absorb radiofrequency radiation differently than adults, with the absorption patterns changing as pregnancy progresses. What makes this particularly relevant is that the study examined the frequency range covering most wireless devices we use daily, from older cordless phones (20 MHz) up to early WiFi and cellular frequencies (3 GHz). The finding that current safety guidelines appear protective is reassuring, but it's important to remember these are mathematical models, not actual biological studies. The reality is that safety standards were developed primarily based on adult male exposure data, so research specifically examining pregnancy represents a critical gap being filled.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 20 MHz to 3 GHz
Exposure Context
This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 Details
This paper describes the finite-difference time-domain calculation of SAR from 20 MHz to 3 GHz in hybrid voxel-mathematical models of the pregnant female.
Mathematical models of the developing foetus at 8-, 13-, 26- and 38-week gestation were converted in...
Comparison suggests that the ICNIRP public reference level is a conservative predictor of local SAR ...
Show BibTeX
@article{p._2007_sar_in_the_mother_950,
author = {Dimbylow P.},
title = {SAR in the mother and foetus for RF plane wave irradiation.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17664577/},
}