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Chapter 10
Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield the head from RF
radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from wireless
phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that claim to shield the
head from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that claim to shield
the user from RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve
nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have
shown that these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike “hand-
free” kits, these so-called “shields” may interfere with proper operation of the
phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to
an increase in RF absorption. In February 2002, the Federal trade Commission
(FTC) charged two companies that sold devices that claimed to protect wire-
less phone users from radiation with making false and unsubstantiated claims.
According to FTC, these defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate
their claim.
What about wireless phone interference with medical equipment?
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with some elec-
tronic 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 instru-
mentation (AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA, medical device manu-
facturers, 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 Electri-
cal 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 “compat-
ible” 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.
What are the results of the research done already?
The research done thus far has produced conflicting results, and many studies
have suffered from flaws in their research methods. Animal experiments inves-
tigating the effects of radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures characteristic of
wireless phones have yielded conflicting results that often cannot be repeated
in other laboratories. A few animal studies, however, have suggested that low
levels of RF could accelerate the development of cancer in laboratory animals.
However, many of the studies that showed increased tumor development used
animals that had been genetically engineered or treated with cancer-causing
chemicals so as to be pre-disposed to develop cancer in the absence of RF
exposure. Other studies exposed the animals to RF for up to 22 hours per day.