Article publication date
January 2023
Authored by
Yamazaki et al.
Summary
This measurement study aimed to assess personal radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in Japanese children living in the Hokkaido Prefecture and compare the exposure levels to European countries. The study also investigated a possible association between RF EMF exposure and behavioural issues, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and internet addiction. There were 107 children and their parents agreeing to participate. In the study, personal exposure to RF EMF was measured in 101 children over three days and the children also completed a questionnaire which gathered information on mobile phone, wireless communication device and internet use. The parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, which assessed behaviour and mental health problems among the children. The RF EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations was found to be the most significant contributor to total exposure, while those who lived in an urban setting had consistently higher exposure. Overall, the exposure to Japanese children was found to be lower than similar studies conducted in Europe. The study did not find an association between RF EMF exposure and internet addiction or most of the behavioural outcomes. However, an association was found between Wi-Fi exposure at night and inattention/hyperactivity. The authors concluded that this may be due to children who could not limit their use of wireless electronic devices (mobile phones, gaming devices, etc.) at night-time.
Link to
Published in
Environmental Research
Commentary by ARPANSA
Although this study found children living in urban environments were exposed to consistently higher levels of RF EMF exposure, these levels were still well below the exposure limits set in the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Further, the reported RF-EMF exposures in Japan are comparable to those measured in Australia. The exposure limits in the ARPANSA safety Standard are based on current scientific knowledge and are closely aligned with international guidelines prepared by ICNIRP. The ARPANSA safety Standard is designed to provide protection to people of all ages and health statuses against the known short- and long-term effects of exposure to RF EMF. The association found between Wi-Fi exposure at night and inattention/hyperactivity is likely due to confounding from behavioural factors such as hyperactivity/inattention as the authors concluded.
ARPANSA has conducted RF measurement studies and published the results on the ARPANSA website. Additionally in 2017, ARPANSA published a study assessing the RF exposure level due to Wi-Fi in Australian schools. Exposure levels in these measurement studies from RF sources were found to be much lower than the public exposure limits in the Australian safety Standard. There remains no substantiated scientific evidence that exposure to RF EMF below the limits in the Australian Standard causes any adverse health effects.
