Impact of Cell Phone’s Radio Frequency in Children
Herzing University
Saugat Basnet

The development and use of mobile device services in the last decade have hugely increased the amount of radiofrequency electromagnetic wave (RF-EMW). High exposures towards radio frequency (RF) in our daily lives have raised concerns regarding the harmful effects on human health especially on children. Children with cell phone exposure have higher odds of migraines and headache-related symptoms than the one with no exposure. A great deal of scientific and public interest have focused on radio frequencies that alter the brain, somatic and germinal cells in children. Children should be very careful and guided by elders while using cell phones that produce a lot of harmful radio frequencies.
Today cell phone is one of the inseparable parts of modern life. Each and every daily activity today is possibly accomplished by the aid of the cell phone. With its reference, we can say that cell phone directly and regularly comes in contact with the vital body parts like head and sense organs. As it comes in contact with vital organs, not immediately but after some long term exposure, it causes severe health problems and in children, it’s even more serious. Children are still developing mentally; therefore, radio frequency from cell phones has a greater effect on them than on adults. It is because children have growing body parts where cell multiplication is active. According to a study conducted by Sudan, Kheifats, Arah and Oslen in 2012, children today are exposed to cell phones at a very early age and continuing throughout life. They might, therefore, achieve a much higher lifetime exposure than today’s adults. There are huge lots of differences between the chemical and physical structure of a child’s brain and of an adult’s brain. With the contrast in size, shape, water content and tissue distribution of the head and brain tissue in children, they have higher specific absorption (SAR) of radio frequency than in the adults. Children are more susceptible to potential effects of the radio frequency due to their developing cells of their brain and possibly wouldn’t have enough immune capacity in comparison to adults. So, their immune can’t fight against high radio frequency waves that have been around due to high contact of cell phones. As cell phones are typically positioned close to the head during use, particularly the ear, their effect on the occurrence of an auditory function is interesting. Though in a study done by Sudan, Kheifets, Arah, Olsen, in 2013 in 52,680 children, a weak association is observed in the association between the cell phone and hearing loss. (Sudan, Kheifets, Arah, Oslen, 2013, Pg. 247-257). It has also been reported that mobile devices’ radiation alters the plasma protein of the eyes. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation produced during the production of radio frequency causes the increase in the level of protein structural alteration in eye; this increase leads to significant disorders of function and structure of some cells (Eid, Zeid, Hanafi and Dahshan, 2013, Pg. 573-593). As we know the mental part of the body is not excusable part of the body, it has to be protected very highly. Children who have a high rate of developing mental parts should be aware of the radio frequencies.
Radio frequency is carcinogenic. The Radio frequency emitted by mobile devices is deposited on the layers of skin. Radio frequency stimulates the cells to multiply causing cancers to the internal and deep parts of the body. And in the western countries, the chances are high because of the high technological development and have the high density of radio frequency. In a study done by Poulsen, Friis, Johansen, Frie, Kjaer, Dalton, Schuz in 2013, the radio frequency electromagnetic field from the mobile phone held to the head penetrates very deep into the brain stimulating the cancer cells and in case of children, the cells grab the radio frequency so quick and there is high chance of cancer in later part of the life. Carcinogenic effects associated with use of mobile phones have addressed mainly intracranial tumors and focus on other tumor types has been limited, although much of the energy emitted from mobile phones is deposited in the skin and underlying tissue. In western countries, skin cancer in the most common malignancy and the incidence is increasing. Natural or artificial ultraviolet radiation is the major risk factor for melanoma and for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), which includes basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (Poulsen, Friis, Johansen, Frie, Kjaer, Dalton, Schuz, 2013).
The regular use of cell phone impacts the human semen. It alters the reproductive or germinal cells. According to the Agarwal, Desai, Makker, Varghese, Mauradi, Sabanegh, Sharma in an article in 2009 (Pg. 1318-1325), exposure of the germinal cells to the radio frequency of cell phone has impact on sperm motility, morphology, and viability, suggesting a reduction in male fertilization potential. Radio frequency has also demonstrated oxidative stress in different tissues (kidney, endometrium, eye, testis, brain, myocardial tissue, and so on) in response to cell phone radiation. Their study also showed that the exposure of human semen samples to cell phone radiation under in vitro condition results in the decrease in sperm motility (neat semen). It is to be noted the impact in reproductive cells because such incident can result in childbirth with disabilities as the impacted cell of those children show impact later when they are adult.
Although the use of cell phone is inevitable, it has multiple health hazards causing alteration in brain, cancer and germinal cells. From the explanation in the essay, we can say that the radio frequency causes problems especially in infants and children because they have the organs and chemicals on the body that are in high velocity of development and are affected in high degree by the radio frequency as their cells are multiplying exponentially. Radio frequency can cause gene alteration in multiplying cells. The brain, which is no doubt the vital part of the body system and is developing rapidly, has a severe problem caused by the radio frequency. As the teenagers have rapidly growing reproductive cells, which is also affected by radio frequency, it is a matter of concerning doubt that the next generation kids may be born disabled. It is essential that children, including parents should have the knowledge that radio frequency can be hazardous to the health. Reducing the use and contact with mobile devices is the only way to reduce the risk of hazard unless we have some transforming scientific outcome that would mitigate the problems of radio frequency on health.

Reference
Eid F., Zeid M. A., Hanafi N and El-Dahshan. (July 2013) Mobile Phone Radiation Induced Plasma Protein Alterations and Eye Pathology In Newly Born Mice. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, Vol. 52 (573-593). DOI: 10.12816/0000594
Poulsen A. H., Friis S., Johansen C., Jensen A., Frei P., Kjaer S. K., Dalton S. O., Schuz J (June 20, 2013) Mobile Phone Use and the Risk of Skin Cancer: A nationwide Cohort Study in Denmark. American Journal of Epidemiology. Article DOI: 10.1093/aje/kws426
Sudan M., Kheifets L., Arah O., Olsen J., (Dec. 5, 2012) Prenatal and Postnatal Cell Phone Exposures and Headaches in Children. Open Pediatr Med Journal (46-52). Article DOI: 10.2174/1874309901206010046
Sudan M., Kheifets L., Arah O. A., Olsen J. (May, 2013). Cell Phone Exposures and Hearing Loss in Children in Danish National Birth Cohort. Paediatric and Perinatal Epodemiology, Vol. 27, Issue 3 (247-257). DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12036