Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on performance and electrophysiology in adolescents, young adults and older adults
Leung S, Croft RJ, McKenzie RJ, Iskra S, Silber B, Cooper NR, O'Neill B, Cropley V, Diaz-Trujillo A, Hamblin D, Simpson D. · 2011
View Original AbstractMobile phone signals at typical usage levels measurably altered brain function and reduced memory accuracy in teenagers during 55-minute exposures.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested how 2G and 3G cell phone signals affect brain function in teenagers and adults during 55-minute exposures. They found 3G signals reduced memory accuracy in teenagers, while both signal types altered brain wave patterns in all age groups, showing measurable impacts on brain processing.
Why This Matters
This controlled study provides compelling evidence that the radiofrequency signals from everyday mobile phones directly impact cognitive function and brain activity. The SAR levels used (0.7 and 1.7 W/kg) fall within the range of typical phone usage, making these findings highly relevant to real-world exposure scenarios. What's particularly concerning is that teenagers showed the most pronounced cognitive effects, experiencing reduced accuracy on memory tasks when exposed to 3G signals. This aligns with growing evidence that developing brains may be more susceptible to EMF effects. The fact that brain wave changes occurred across all age groups suggests these aren't isolated effects but consistent neurological responses to mobile phone radiation. You don't have to accept that these cognitive impacts are harmless simply because phones are ubiquitous.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.7 and 1.7 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 894.6 MHz and 1,900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- continuous for 55 min
Exposure Context
This study used 0.7 and 1.7 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 1.7x 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 study examined sensory and cognitive processing in adolescents, young adults and older adults, when exposed to 2nd (2G) and 3rd (3G) generation mobile phone signals.
Tests employed were the auditory 3-stimulus oddball and the N-back. Forty-one 13–15 year olds, forty...
3-Stimulus oddball task: Behavioural: accuracy and reaction time of responses to targets were not af...
Employing tasks tailored to each individual’s ability level, this study provides support for an effect of acute 2G and 3G exposure on human cognitive function.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2011_effects_of_2g_and_123,
author = {Leung S and Croft RJ and McKenzie RJ and Iskra S and Silber B and Cooper NR and O'Neill B and Cropley V and Diaz-Trujillo A and Hamblin D and Simpson D. },
title = {Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on performance and electrophysiology in adolescents, young adults and older adults},
year = {2011},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S138824571100263X},
}