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FDA CONSUMER UPDATE FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
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Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But
if you are concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use
measures like those described above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless
phone use.
10.What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless phones,
including children and teenagers. If you want to take steps to lower exposure to
radiofrequency energy (RF), the measures described above would apply to children
and teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the time of wireless phone use
and increasing the distance between the user and the RF source will reduce RF
exposure. Some groups sponsored by other national governments have advised
that children be discouraged from using wireless phones at all. For example, the
government in the United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000. They noted that no evidence exists that us-
ing a wireless phone causes brain tumors or other ill effects. Their
recommendation to limit wireless phone use by children was strictly precautionary;
it was not based on scientific evidence that any health hazard exists.
11.What about wireless phone interference with medical equipment?
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with some
electronic devices. For this reason, FDA helped develop a detailed test method to
measure electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted cardiac pacemakers and
defibrillators from wireless telephones. This test method is now part of a standard
sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Medical instrumentation
(AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA, medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard will allow
manufacturers to ensure that cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from
wireless phone EMI. FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from handheld
wireless phones and helped develop a voluntary standard sponsored by the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). This standard specifies test
methods and performance requirements for hearing aids and wireless phones so
that that no interference occurs when a person uses a “compatible” phone and a
“compatible” hearing aid at the same time. This standard was approved by the
IEEE in 2000. FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible
interactions with other medical devices. Should harmful interference be found to
occur, FDA will conduct testing to assess the interference and work to resolve the
problem.
12.Where can I find additional information?
For additional information, please refer to the following resources:
• FDA web page on wireless phones (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ phones/index.html)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety Program
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
• International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
(http://www.icnirp.de)
• World Health Organization (WHO) International EMF Project
(http://www.who.int/emf)
• National Radiological Protection Board (UK) (http://www.nrpb.org.uk/)
The Project has also helped develop a series of public information documents on
EMF issues. FDA and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association
(CTIA) have a formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
to do research on wireless phone safety. FDA provides the scientific oversight,
obtaining input from experts in government, industry, and academic or-
ganizations. CTIA-funded research is conducted through contracts to independent
investigators. The initial research will include both laboratory studies and studies of
wireless phone users. The CRADA will also include a broad assessment of
additional research needs in the context of the latest research developments
around the world.
7. How can I find out how much radiofrequency energy exposure I can get by
using my wireless phone?
All phones sold in the United States must comply with Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) guidelines that limit radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures. FCC
established these guidelines in consultation with FDA and the other federal health
and safety agencies. The FCC limit for RF exposure from wireless telephones is set
at a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC
limit is consistent with the safety standards developed by the Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection
and Measurement. The exposure limit takes into consideration the body’s ability to
remove heat from the tissues that absorb energy from the wireless phone and is
set well below levels known to have effects. Manufacturers of wireless phones
must report the RF exposure level for each model of phone to the FCC. The FCC
website (http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety) gives directions for locating the FCC
identification number on your cellular telephone so you can find your phone’s RF
exposure level in the online listing.
8. What has FDA done to measure the radiofrequency energy coming from
wireless phones ?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a technical
standard for measuring the radiofrequency energy (RF) exposure from wireless
phones and other wireless handsets with the participation and leader-ship of FDA
scientists and engineers. The standard, “Recommended Practice for Determining
the Spatial-Peak Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in the Human Body Due to
Wireless Communications Devices: Experimental Techniques,” sets forth the first
consistent test methodology for measuring the rate at which RF is deposited in the
heads of wireless phone users. The test method uses a tissue-simulating model of
the human head. Standardized SAR test methodology is expected to greatly
improve the consistency of measurements made at different laboratories on the
same phone. SAR is the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed in tissue,
either by the whole body or a small part of the body. It is measured in watts/kg (or
milliwatts/g) of matter. This measurement is used to determine whether a wireless
phone complies with safety guidelines.
9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to radiofrequency energy
from my wireless phone?
If there is a risk from these products—and at this point we do not know that there
is—it is probably very small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even
potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to
radiofrequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a
person receives, reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless phone will
reduce RF exposure.
• If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless phone every day, you
could place more distance between your body and the source of the RF, since
the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, you could
use a headset and carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a
wireless phone connected to a remote antenna.