Quantitative assessment of thermal effects on the auricle region caused by mobile phones operating in different modes

Tomasz Rok; Artur Kacprzyk; Eugeniusz Rokita; Dorota Kantor; Grzegorz Tatoń; Tomasz Rok; Artur Kacprzyk; Eugeniusz Rokita; Dorota Kantor; Grzegorz Tatoń

doi:10.3934/biophy.2024023

AIMS Biophysics

2024, Volume 11, Issue 4: 427-444. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2024023

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Research article

Quantitative assessment of thermal effects on the auricle region caused by mobile phones operating in different modes

1.
Department of Biophysics, Chair of Physiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Św. Łazarza 16, 31-530 Cracow, Poland
2.
Doctoral School of Medical and Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Św. Łazarza 16, 31-530 Cracow, Poland
3.
Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, prof. Stanisława Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Cracow

Received: 08 August 2024 Revised: 16 October 2024 Accepted: 22 October 2024 Published: 28 October 2024

To analyze thermal effects caused by mobile phones on the human auricle region, we performed an experiment with controlled exposure to mobile phones operating in different modes for a group of 40 men. Temperature changes were measured with the use of infrared thermography. Thermograms were taken before and after a standardized 15-minute phone call when the mobile phone was placed lightly against the skin surface in the auricle region. The measurements were performed in three modes: OFF, ON, and FLIGHT. Statistically significant differences (p = 0.03) were observed between the experimental temperature increase of the auricle region in OFF mode (average temperature rise = 1.1 °C ± 0.2 °C) and in ON mode (average temperature rise = 1.9 °C ± 0.3 °C), while between FLIGHT (average temperature rise = 1.4 °C ± 0.2 °C) and ON modes, no statistical differences were observed (p = 0.20). Based on thermographic measurements and the model of heat transfer between the ear and the phone, it was shown that the human ear is the largest heat source in the system and that the increase in skin temperature is mainly caused by the handheld mobile phone restricting heat dissipation from the skin surface.
- heat transfer,
- thermal imaging,
- thermal effects,
- high-frequency electromagnetic field
Citation: Tomasz Rok, Artur Kacprzyk, Eugeniusz Rokita, Dorota Kantor, Grzegorz Tatoń. Quantitative assessment of thermal effects on the auricle region caused by mobile phones operating in different modes[J]. AIMS Biophysics, 2024, 11(4): 427-444. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2024023

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Abstract

To analyze thermal effects caused by mobile phones on the human auricle region, we performed an experiment with controlled exposure to mobile phones operating in different modes for a group of 40 men. Temperature changes were measured with the use of infrared thermography. Thermograms were taken before and after a standardized 15-minute phone call when the mobile phone was placed lightly against the skin surface in the auricle region. The measurements were performed in three modes: OFF, ON, and FLIGHT. Statistically significant differences (p = 0.03) were observed between the experimental temperature increase of the auricle region in OFF mode (average temperature rise = 1.1 °C ± 0.2 °C) and in ON mode (average temperature rise = 1.9 °C ± 0.3 °C), while between FLIGHT (average temperature rise = 1.4 °C ± 0.2 °C) and ON modes, no statistical differences were observed (p = 0.20). Based on thermographic measurements and the model of heat transfer between the ear and the phone, it was shown that the human ear is the largest heat source in the system and that the increase in skin temperature is mainly caused by the handheld mobile phone restricting heat dissipation from the skin surface.

Acknowledgments

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author contributions

T.R. and G.T. conceived of the presented idea. T.R. developed the theory and performed the computations. E.R. and G.T. verified the analytical methods. T.R., A.K., G.T. carried out study experiments. T.R. and A.K. wrote the manuscript. All authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript and its revised versions.

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