Smartphone radiation may affect memory in adolescents

London : Long-term exposure to radiation from mobile phones may adversely affect memory performance of certain brain regions in adolescents, a study has found. The study, appearing in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, involved nearly 700 adolescents in Switzerland. Scientists at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) looked at the relationship between exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from wireless communication devices and memory performance in adolescents. 

The study found that cumulative RF-EMF brain exposure from mobile phone use over one year may have a negative effect on the development of figural memory performance in adolescents, confirming prior results published in 2015. Figural memory is mainly located in the right brain hemisphere and association with RF-EMF was more pronounced in adolescents using the mobile phone on the right side of the head. 

The rapid evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT) goes along with an increase in exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in our daily life. The most relevant exposure source to the brain is the use of a mobile phone close to the head, researchers said. 

Several studies have been conducted to identify potential health effects related to RF-EMF, though results have remained inconclusive. Other aspects of wireless communication use, such as sending text messages, playing games or browsing the Internet cause only marginal RF-EMF exposure to the brain and were not associated with the development of memory performance.