A unique study of the effects of electromagnetic radiation on schoolchildren lasted 14 years.
A group of Russian scientists have completed a 14-year study on the effects of cell phone and smartphone radiation on children. It turned out that active users of mobile phones had a slower reaction to light and sound signals, and the number of errors in writing had noticeably increased. And also decreased performance indicators, weakened attention and semantic memory. Supervisory agencies have already listened to the arguments of scientists - in August, Rospotrebnadzor and Rosobrnadzor issued recommendations to limit the use of gadgets in schools. However, a number of scientists still deny the evidence of their negative effects on the brain and other human organs.
Gymnasium problem
A group of scientists from the Institute of Biochemical Physics. NM Emanuel of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian National Committee for Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation have completed a long-term study of the effect of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones on the psychophysiological indicators of schoolchildren, which has no analogues in the world.
For this, in Khimki, on the basis of Lyceum No. 10 near Moscow, monitoring of the indicators of children who use mobile communications was organized, which, since 2014, has been continued in an expanded volume on the basis of Lyceum No. 17.
“At the moment, we have the results of a unique longitudinal observation of children who use mobile gadgets,” the candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher of the FGBUN Institute of Biochemical Physics named after N. M. Emanuel RAS”Natalia Khorseva. - It is important to note that, in addition to the main group, which included children - users of mobile phones (1161 people), a control group was formed, the participants of which did without these devices (370 people). It is the fact that we have a control group that is an indisputable advantage of our research.
As a result, it was found that children using mobile phones slowed down simple auditory and visual-motor reactions compared to the control group. Also, in 39.7% of cases, users of gadgets registered an increase in the fatigue indicator (in 30.3% it was significant), in 50.7% - the efficiency indicator decreased. In addition, the researchers found that only 8.5% of children had the level of fine motor skills of the hand within the age norm.
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- For the last five years, on the basis of Lyceum No. 17, a complex of preventive measures has been carried out, in which all participants in the educational process (schoolchildren, parents, teaching staff and administration) are involved. It is aimed at reducing the negative impact of mobile phones, - Natalia Khorseva told Izvestia. - And these events have already yielded results. It was found that a safe mode of use (headphones, speakerphone, SMS, MMS messages) statistically significantly improves all psychophysiological parameters. This is because the radiation source is farther from the developing baby brain.
Penetration depth
The authors of the study are confident: changes in the psychophysiological indicators of children - users of mobile phones, convincingly prove that chronic exposure to electromagnetic radiation negatively affects a child. Children are at risk, since their skulls are thinner than adults, they have less brain mass, and because of this, more vital structures can be exposed to radiation from gadgets.
According to scientists, the issue of the specifics of the distribution of fields and the amount of energy absorbed by the child's brain has been discussed in recent years at almost all international forums. In 1996, a scientific work was published on the calculations of the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the structures of the brain, by American researchers (Gandhi, O., Lazzi G., Furse C).
It says that if for adults the penetration depth of radiation is about 37 mm (captures about 15% of brain structures), then for children and adolescents it is already much greater. So, for a five-year-old child, the coverage area is up to 80% of the brain structures, and for adolescents - up to 60%. Therefore, talking on a mobile phone, a child exposes almost the entire brain to electromagnetic radiation, which inevitably leads to a change in the "physiological response".
- The Americans even introduced the special term “heavy user” in their scientific articles - a person who talks on the phone for a long time. These people just developed tumors, - noted the leading researcher of the laboratory of radiobiology and hygiene of non-ionizing radiation of the A. I. Burnazyan FMBA of Russia, Honorary Chairman of the Russian National Committee for Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation Yuri Grigoriev. - The Swedes, who have completed their studies, turned to the WHO to move electromagnetic radiation to category 1 - with proven carcinogenicity in humans.
Scientists also draw attention to the fact that in some foreign countries, full or partial restrictions have already been introduced on the use of mobile communications and Wi-Fi in kindergartens and schools. Such countries include Germany (Bavaria), France, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Bangladesh, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
Armed and potentially dangerous
Disputes over the influence of electromagnetic radiation on various human organs and, in particular, on the brain have been going on for a long time, but recently the scales have begun to tilt towards recognizing its danger.
In 2001, the Russian National Committee for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, based on Russian and foreign research, recommended that children and adolescents under 16 should not use mobile phones. This also applied to pregnant women.
In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields, including those from cell phones, as "likely carcinogenic to humans." The agency's specialists ranked electromagnetic radiation as group 2B - it includes substances or factors for which there is limited evidence (or not enough evidence) in favor of danger to humans. It should be noted that recent experimental studies on animals in most cases convincingly prove the negative impact of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones on the body.
More recently, on August 14, Rospotrebnadzor and Rosobrnadzor gave their recommendations on the use of mobile devices. The documents were signed by the heads of departments Anna Popova and Sergey Kravtsov. The recommendations indicate that the early age of the beginning of the use of gadgets and the long accumulated time of their operation are factors leading to mental disorders, which manifests itself in a child in hyperactivity, increased irritability, impaired communication skills, sleep disorders, decreased long-term memory and mental performance. That is, the departments have listened to the alarming conclusions of Russian and foreign experts.
Unproven harm
However, a number of scientists do not confirm the information about the negative effects of mobile phone radiation.
A study conducted on a hundred children cannot be considered conclusive, since mobile phones have been tested on thousands of people, believes the dean of the Faculty of Radio Engineering and Telecommunications, Head of the Department of Radioelectronic Means of the St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University LETI (the university is a participant in the 5-100 project) Victor Malyshev.
- The intensity of the field has been carefully studied, millions of dollars have been spent on this research. No one has ever proven its negative effect on the human body. Another thing is what is happening there at the cellular level - nobody really knows this, - said the expert. - It is clear that with high field intensity, there will be harm. But the intensities caused by the mobile phone are low. We ourselves have investigated how radiation penetrates into biological tissue. Of course, a lot also depends on the specific phone model, but it all fits into the standards.
Dmitry Kulyabov, associate professor of the Department of Applied Informatics and Probability Theory of RUDN University, agrees with Viktor Malyshev.
- Electromagnetic pollution of cities is so strong that the impact of telephones and other household appliances against the general background is insignificant. If you are traveling by tram or subway, the radiation will be stronger than from the phone. In order to achieve a negative impact, you need to tie the phone to your ear and walk around the clock with it. In this case, there is a possibility of tissue heating according to the same principle by which it occurs in the microwave. But no one will do that, the expert is sure.
Disputes between scientists continue. It was decided to extend monitoring on the basis of lyceum №m17. The researchers are confident that they will find new evidence of the negative effect of electromagnetic radiation on the brain of children.
Anna Urmantseva