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Estimation of whole-body SAR from electromagnetic fields using personal exposure meters.

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Joseph W, Vermeeren G, Verloock L, Martens L. · 2010

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Children absorb up to three times more wireless radiation than adults from the same signal strength, revealing gaps in current safety standards.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers measured how much wireless radiation the body absorbs from cell phones and WiFi. They found that 1-year-old children absorb nearly three times more energy than adults from the same signal strength, revealing children face disproportionately higher exposure from everyday wireless devices.

Why This Matters

This research provides critical data that challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to EMF safety standards. The science demonstrates that children's smaller bodies and developing tissues absorb radiofrequency energy at rates up to three times higher than adults when exposed to the same signal strength. What this means for you is that current safety limits, which are based on adult male models, may not adequately protect children from wireless radiation exposure. The reality is that children today face unprecedented levels of wireless radiation from multiple sources simultaneously - cell towers, WiFi routers, tablets, and smart devices. While the measured levels in this study remained below official safety thresholds, those thresholds were established decades ago and don't account for the unique vulnerability of developing bodies or the cumulative effects of multiple simultaneous exposures that define modern life.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.0000179, 0.0000058, 0.0000071, 0.0000115, 0.08, 0.0000601, 0.0000879, 0.0000427, W/kg
Electric Field
0.36, 0.26, 0.41, 0.48 V/m
Source/Device
950 MHz, GSM900

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: 0.0000179, 0.0000058, 0.0000071, 0.0000115, 0.08, 0.0000601, 0.0000879, 0.0000427, W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the No Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 275,862x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

In this article, personal electromagnetic field measurements are converted into whole-body specific absorption rates for exposure of the general public.

Whole-body SAR values calculated from personal exposure meter data are compared for different human ...

All values are below the basic restriction of 0.08 W/kg for the general public. 95th percentiles of ...

Cite This Study
Joseph W, Vermeeren G, Verloock L, Martens L. (2010). Estimation of whole-body SAR from electromagnetic fields using personal exposure meters. Bioelectromagnetics. 31(4):286-295, 2010.
Show BibTeX
@article{w_2010_estimation_of_wholebody_sar_1054,
  author = {Joseph W and Vermeeren G and Verloock L and Martens L.},
  title = {Estimation of whole-body SAR from electromagnetic fields using personal exposure meters.},
  year = {2010},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20041435/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers measured how much wireless radiation the body absorbs from cell phones and WiFi. They found that 1-year-old children absorb nearly three times more energy than adults from the same signal strength, revealing children face disproportionately higher exposure from everyday wireless devices.