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Investigation of potential effects of cellular phones on human auditory function by means of distortion product otoacoustic emissions.

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Janssen T, Boege P, von Mikusch-Buchberg J, Raczek J. · 2005

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Cell phone radiation at 0.1 W/kg SAR produced detectable but extremely small changes in inner ear function that researchers deemed physiologically irrelevant.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested whether 900-MHz cell phone radiation affects inner ear hearing cells in 28 people. They found extremely small changes (less than 1 decibel) in some subjects, but concluded these tiny shifts are physiologically meaningless given humans' 120-decibel hearing range.

Why This Matters

This study addresses an important question about whether cell phone radiation might affect our auditory system, particularly the outer hair cells that amplify sound and give us our remarkable hearing sensitivity. The researchers used a relatively low SAR of 0.1 W/kg, which is well below the 1.6 W/kg limit set by the FCC for cell phones. What's notable is that even at this lower exposure level, they detected measurable changes in some subjects, albeit extremely small ones. The researchers dismissed these changes as physiologically irrelevant, but this finding adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure can produce detectable biological effects even when those effects fall below what researchers consider clinically significant. The reality is that our understanding of long-term, cumulative effects from repeated low-level exposures remains limited.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.1 W/kg
Source/Device
900-MHz

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.1 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern rangeFCC limit is 16x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The present study investigated potential effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) cellular phones on OHCs by means of DPOAEs.

DPOAE measurements were performed during exposure, i.e., between consecutive GSM signal pulses, and ...

No significant change in the DPOAE level in response to the EMF exposure was found. However, when un...

Cite This Study
Janssen T, Boege P, von Mikusch-Buchberg J, Raczek J. (2005). Investigation of potential effects of cellular phones on human auditory function by means of distortion product otoacoustic emissions. J Acoust Soc Am. 117(3 Pt 1):1241-1247, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{t_2005_investigation_of_potential_effects_1043,
  author = {Janssen T and Boege P and von Mikusch-Buchberg J and Raczek J.},
  title = {Investigation of potential effects of cellular phones on human auditory function by means of distortion product otoacoustic emissions.},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15807013/},
}
PubMed: 15807013

Cited By (35 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Research on 900-MHz cell phone radiation found no meaningful effects on inner ear hearing cells. A 2005 study detected extremely small changes (less than 1 decibel) in some people, but researchers concluded these tiny shifts are physiologically irrelevant given humans' 120-decibel hearing range.
Cell phone radiation produces no significant effects on ear function according to controlled testing. While researchers found microscopic changes in some subjects' inner ear responses, these shifts were less than 1 decibel and considered meaningless for actual hearing ability.
Studies show 900-MHz radiation doesn't harm hearing function in any meaningful way. Research on 28 people found extremely small changes in inner ear cells, but these were less than 1 decibel and physiologically irrelevant compared to the human ear's 120-decibel range.
Cell phones pose no significant hearing risks based on current research. A study measuring inner ear responses to 900-MHz radiation found only microscopic changes under 1 decibel in some subjects, which researchers determined have no physiological relevance for human hearing.
Cell phone radiation has no meaningful impact on inner ear function. Research detected extremely small changes (less than 1 decibel) in some people's hearing cells when exposed to 900-MHz radiation, but these tiny shifts are physiologically irrelevant for actual hearing ability.