Radio waves from mobile phones do not affect cognitive abilities

A systematic review commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that exposure to radio waves from mobile phones does not affect learning, memory, concentration and other cognitive functions such as coordination. The work was published in the journal Environment International.

The review was co-led by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and Associate Professor Ken Karipidis, Associate Director of Health Impact Assessment at ARPANSA. The review addresses long-standing public concerns.

“One of the motivations for this study was to assess the effect on the brain, as mobile phones are usually held close to the head during calls,” said Associate Professor Karipidis. “One of the challenges of studying the health effects of mobile phones is that it is difficult to separate the effects of radiation from the behavioral effects of social media and gaming on our cognitive function. Overall, this systematic review found that exposure to radio waves from mobile phones does not affect cognitive function.

The WHO systematic review was conducted in collaboration between ARPANSA and Monash University. Drs Chris Brzozek and Masoumeh Sanagu from ARPANSA also contributed to the study.

The review examined 3,945 articles, but only five studies were considered methodologically appropriate and included in the final analysis. The authors acknowledge that more high-quality studies are needed to cover all types of populations, radio wave exposure and cognitive outcomes, especially studies focusing on environmental and occupational exposures in adults.

In 2019, WHO commissioned a series of systematic reviews to help provide an updated assessment of the health risks of exposure to radio waves. These reviews will be used to prepare a new environmental criteria monograph on radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF).