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EEG Changes Due to Experimentally Induced 3G Mobile Phone Radiation

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Roggeveen S, van Os J, Viechtbauer W, Lousberg R · 2015

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Just 15 minutes of 3G cell phone radiation altered multiple brain wave patterns when held to the ear.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed 31 healthy women to 3G cell phone radiation for 15 minutes and measured brain activity using EEG (electroencephalogram, which records electrical activity in the brain). They found significant changes in multiple brain wave patterns when the phone was held to the ear, but not when placed on the chest. This demonstrates that cell phone radiation can directly alter brain activity in just 15 minutes of exposure.

Why This Matters

This study provides compelling evidence that cell phone radiation creates immediate, measurable changes in brain function. The fact that researchers detected alterations in four different brain wave patterns (alpha, slow beta, fast beta, and gamma waves) after just 15 minutes of exposure is particularly striking. The SAR level of 0.69 W/kg used in this study falls within the range of typical cell phone emissions during calls. What makes this research especially relevant is the location-dependent effect - brain changes occurred when the phone was at the ear but not at the chest, confirming that proximity to the brain matters. While the researchers appropriately note that more work is needed to understand the health implications, the reality is that millions of people expose their brains to similar radiation levels daily through regular cell phone use.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.69 W/kg
Source/Device
1.9291–1.9397 GHz
Exposure Duration
15 minutes

Exposure Context

This study used 0.69 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

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 Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.69 W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 2x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a 15-minute placement of a 3G dialing mobile phone causes direct changes in EEG activity compared to the placement of a sham phone. Furthermore, it was investigated whether placement of the mobile phone on the ear or the heart would result in different outcomes.

Thirty-one healthy females participated. All subjects were measured twice: on one of the two days th...

Significant radiation effects were found for the alpha, slowbeta, fastbeta, and gamma bands. When an...

Cite This Study
Roggeveen S, van Os J, Viechtbauer W, Lousberg R (2015). EEG Changes Due to Experimentally Induced 3G Mobile Phone Radiation PLoS One. 2015a Jun 8;10(6):e0129496. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129496.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2015_eeg_changes_due_to_175,
  author = {Roggeveen S and van Os J and Viechtbauer W and Lousberg R},
  title = {EEG Changes Due to Experimentally Induced 3G Mobile Phone Radiation},
  year = {2015},
  
  url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0129496},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed 31 healthy women to 3G cell phone radiation for 15 minutes and measured brain activity using EEG (electroencephalogram, which records electrical activity in the brain). They found significant changes in multiple brain wave patterns when the phone was held to the ear, but not when placed on the chest. This demonstrates that cell phone radiation can directly alter brain activity in just 15 minutes of exposure.