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Radio waves from cell phones do not affect cognitive abilities
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A systematic review commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) finds that exposure to radio waves from mobile phones does not affect learning, memory, concentration or other cognitive functions such as coordination. The work is published in the journal Environment International.
The review was co-led by Australia's Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and Associate Professor Ken Karipidis, Deputy Director of Health Impact Assessment at ARPANSA. The review addresses long-standing public concerns.
“One of the motivations for this study was to assess the impact on the brain, as mobile phones are typically held close to the head during calls,” Associate Professor Karipidis said. “One of the challenges of studying the health effects of mobile phones is that it is difficult to separate the effects of radiation from the behavioural effects of social media and gaming on our cognitive function. Overall, this systematic review found that exposure to radio waves from mobile phones does not affect cognitive function.”
The WHO systematic review was conducted in collaboration between ARPANSA and Monash University. ARPANSA's Drs Chris Brzozek and Masoumeh Sanagu also contributed to the study.
The review included 3,945 articles, but only five studies were considered methodologically appropriate and included in the final analysis. The authors acknowledge that more high-quality studies are needed to cover all population types, RF exposures, and cognitive outcomes, particularly studies examining environmental and occupational exposures in adults.
In 2019, WHO commissioned a series of systematic reviews to help provide an updated assessment of the health risks of exposure to radio waves. These reviews will be used to prepare a new environmental criteria monograph on radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF).