Kids more vulnerable to mobile radiation

Sydney Jan 28 (UNI) Scientists are investigating if children are more vulnerable than adults to radiation from mobile phones.

A study of 110 adults at the Australian Centre for Radio frequency Bioeffects Research, partly funded by the Federal Government, confirmed mobile phones causes a change in brain function by altering brainwaves known as alpha waves.

The centre, at Melbourne's Swinburne University of Technology, is now investigating the effect on 40 children aged 12 to 13, and 20 people aged 55 to 75 years.

Associate Professor Rodney Croft, from the centre, said while studies had been conducted on adults, the effect on children had, until now, remained untested.

"Although there's a very little effect on healthy young adults, there is a possibility that it could be much stronger in children or the elderly," Professor Rodney Croft said.

Scientists worldwide agree there is no evidence linking electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones to adverse health effects, but claims that frequent use can cause headaches, nausea, problems with concentration, cancer and brain tumours.

Researchers fear children may be more vulnerable because the exposure dose received by a child's brain is higher than an adult's and their nervous system is still developing, the Age reported.

A spokesman for federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said: "We have no plans to restrict usage at this point. Of course we monitor any developments in medical research as a matter of course." UNI XC NC SSC1238