Filter
Top Products
Safety Guidelines
134
7. How can I find out how much radio
frequency 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
radio frequency energy (RF) exposures.
The FCC established these guidelines in
consultation with the 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 phone so you
can find your phone’s RF exposure level in
the online listing.
8. What has the FDA done to measure the
radio frequency energy coming from
wireless phones?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE) is developing a technical
standard for measuring the radio frequency
energy (RF) exposure from wireless
phones and other wireless handsets with
the participation and leadership 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 tissuesimulating 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