Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on human alpha rhythms: Resting EEG in adolescents, young adults, and the elderly.
Croft RJ, Leung S, McKenzie RJ, Loughran SP, Iskra S, Hamblin DL, Cooper NR. · 2010
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation measurably alters brain waves in young adults but not in teenagers or elderly people, revealing age-dependent sensitivity patterns.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 103 people across three age groups (teens, young adults, and elderly) to 2G and 3G cell phone signals while measuring their brain waves. They found that only young adults (ages 19-40) showed changes in their alpha brain waves when exposed to 2G signals, while teenagers and elderly participants showed no effects from either 2G or 3G exposure. This suggests that brain sensitivity to cell phone radiation varies significantly by age.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something crucial that the wireless industry rarely discusses: age matters when it comes to EMF sensitivity. The finding that only young adults showed measurable brain wave changes challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to EMF safety standards. What makes this particularly significant is that it contradicts common assumptions about vulnerability. Many expect children and elderly people to be more sensitive to EMF exposure, yet this research shows the opposite pattern for brain wave activity. The reality is that we're still learning how different life stages respond to wireless radiation. While the study didn't find effects in teens or elderly participants, this doesn't mean these groups are immune to other types of EMF-related health impacts. The science demonstrates that our brains respond measurably to cell phone radiation, and these responses vary in ways we don't fully understand.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 8-12 Hz Duration: At least 4 days
Study Details
The present study was conducted to determine whether adolescents and/or the elderly are more sensitive to mobile phone (MP)-related bioeffects than young adults, and to determine this for both 2nd generation (2G) GSM, and 3rd generation (3G) W-CDMA exposures.
To test this, resting alpha activity (8-12 Hz band of the electroencephalogram) was assessed because...
Consistent with previous research, the young adults' alpha was greater in the 2G compared to Sham co...
The results provide further support for an effect of 2G exposures on resting alpha activity in young adults, but fail to support a similar enhancement in adolescents or the elderly, or in any age group as a function of 3G exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{rj_2010_effects_of_2g_and_2003,
author = {Croft RJ and Leung S and McKenzie RJ and Loughran SP and Iskra S and Hamblin DL and Cooper NR.},
title = {Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on human alpha rhythms: Resting EEG in adolescents, young adults, and the elderly.},
year = {2010},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20564174/},
}