Intercomparison of whole-body averaged SAR in European and Japanese voxel phantoms.
Dimbylow PJ, Hirata A, Nagaoka T. · 2008
View Original AbstractComputer models used to calculate phone radiation absorption vary significantly between countries, potentially affecting safety standards.
Plain English Summary
Researchers compared how different computer models of human bodies absorb electromagnetic radiation (SAR) when exposed to frequencies from 30 MHz to 3 GHz. They found that European and Japanese body models showed different absorption patterns, with variations depending on how tissue properties like skin and fat were defined in the calculations. These differences matter because SAR calculations are used to set safety limits for devices like cell phones.
Why This Matters
This research highlights a critical issue in EMF safety standards: the computer models used to calculate radiation absorption vary significantly between different research institutions and countries. What this means for you is that the SAR values you see on your phone's specifications may not tell the complete story about actual exposure levels. The study demonstrates that assumptions about tissue properties and calculation methods can substantially alter SAR measurements, which form the foundation of current safety guidelines. Given that these same modeling techniques are used to establish exposure limits for wireless devices, the variations identified here raise important questions about the consistency and reliability of current safety assessments across different regulatory bodies worldwide.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 30 MHz to 3 GHz
Study Details
This paper provides an intercomparison of the HPA male and female models, NORMAN and NAOMI with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) male and female models, TARO and HANAKO.
The calculations of the whole-body SAR in these four phantoms were performed at the HPA, at NICT and...
As well as investigating the general differences through this frequency range, particular emphasis w...
Show BibTeX
@article{pj_2008_intercomparison_of_wholebody_averaged_2034,
author = {Dimbylow PJ and Hirata A and Nagaoka T.},
title = {Intercomparison of whole-body averaged SAR in European and Japanese voxel phantoms.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18827316/},
}