SAR calculations in an anatomically realistic model of the head for mobile communication transceivers at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz.
Dimbylow PJ, Mann SM. · 1994
View Original AbstractCell phone energy absorption varies dramatically by position, with eye-level placement producing over double the RF exposure compared to ear placement.
Plain English Summary
Scientists used detailed computer modeling to measure how much cell phone radiation gets absorbed by brain tissue. They found absorption rates varied dramatically by phone position, with the highest levels occurring when phones were held in front of the eye rather than at the ear.
Why This Matters
This groundbreaking 1994 study represents one of the earliest attempts to quantify exactly how much RF energy penetrates human tissue from mobile phones using realistic anatomical models. The science demonstrates that phone positioning matters enormously - holding a device in front of your eye produced SAR values up to 7.7 watts per kilogram, more than double the levels at the ear. What makes this research particularly significant is its timing: conducted when mobile phones were just entering widespread use, it provided early evidence that RF absorption varies dramatically across different head positions and tissue types. The reality is that these findings helped establish the foundation for current SAR testing protocols, though many argue those standards remain inadequate given what we now know about non-thermal biological effects at much lower exposure levels.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, and 4.7 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
Exposure Context
This study used 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, and 4.7 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 5.3x 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
The aim of the current study is to investigate SAR calculations in an anatomically realistic model of the head for mobile communication transceivers at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz.
A new mathematical model of the head has been constructed from a set of serial MRI slices from one s...
Results are also presented for a half-wavelength dipole. The maximum SAR values produced by the gene...
Show BibTeX
@article{pj_1994_sar_calculations_in_an_948,
author = {Dimbylow PJ and Mann SM.},
title = {SAR calculations in an anatomically realistic model of the head for mobile communication transceivers at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz.},
year = {1994},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15551530/},
}