8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body

Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Is cochlear outer hair cell function affected by mobile telephone radiation?

No Effects Found

Monnery PM, Srouji EI, Bartlett J · 2004

View Original Abstract
Share:

Mobile phone radiation showed no immediate effects on inner ear hair cells in 12 people, but long-term impacts remain unstudied.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested whether mobile phone radiation affects the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear that are crucial for hearing. They measured otoacoustic emissions (sounds produced by healthy ears) in 12 people with normal hearing while exposing them to mobile phone radiation. The study found no changes in these ear-generated sounds, suggesting that mobile phone radiation doesn't immediately damage the outer hair cells responsible for fine-tuned hearing.

Study Details

Mobile telephones emit high-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF). These are known to have measurable biological effects, and possible effects on the auditory system. Otoacoustic emissions give an indication of the functional state of the auditory system. Otoacoustics are known to be highly specific for the individual when the test pulse is identical. In this way, subtle changes in the ear can be detected. We investigated whether there is a measurable effect on Otoacoustic emissions from PEMF radiation.

A total of 12 volunteers were recruited who had normal hearing; confirmed by pure tone audiometry. A...

There was no change in the trace signature during the test. There was no statistically significant c...

This would indicate that PEMF from commonly available hand held mobile telephones have no measurable effect on the outer hair cell function during the time of use.

Cite This Study
Monnery PM, Srouji EI, Bartlett J (2004). Is cochlear outer hair cell function affected by mobile telephone radiation? Clin Otolaryngol 29(6):747-749, 2004.
Show BibTeX
@article{pm_2004_is_cochlear_outer_hair_3256,
  author = {Monnery PM and Srouji EI and Bartlett J},
  title = {Is cochlear outer hair cell function affected by mobile telephone radiation?},
  year = {2004},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15533172/},
}
PubMed: 15533172

Cited By (18 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2004 study found no immediate damage to inner ear hair cells from mobile phone radiation. Researchers measured ear function in 12 people during phone exposure and detected no changes in the sensitive cells responsible for fine-tuned hearing.
Research shows mobile phone radiation doesn't immediately affect outer hair cell function in the inner ear. A controlled study found no measurable changes in otoacoustic emissions, which are sounds produced by healthy ears during phone use.
Current evidence suggests mobile phone radiation doesn't cause immediate harm to ear function. A 2004 study measuring sensitive inner ear responses found no statistically significant changes during phone exposure in people with normal hearing.
One study found no immediate hearing-related effects from mobile phone electromagnetic fields. Researchers detected no changes in outer hair cell function, which is crucial for normal hearing, during phone radiation exposure.
Research indicates cell phone electromagnetic fields don't immediately impact the hearing mechanism. A study measuring otoacoustic emissions found no changes in inner ear hair cell function during mobile phone radiation exposure in healthy individuals.