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Safety Guidelines
FDA Consumer Update
The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Center
for Devices and Radiological Health Consumer
Update on Mobile Phones.
1. Do wireless phones pose a health
hazard?
The available scientific evidence does not
show that any health problems are
associated with using wireless phones.
There is no proof, however, that wireless
phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones
emit low levels of radiofrequency energy (RF)
in the microwave range while being used.
They also emit very low levels of RF when in
the standby mode. Whereas high levels of
RF can produce health effects (by heating
tissue), exposure to low level RF that does
not produce heating effects causes no
known adverse health effects. Many studies
of low level RF exposures have not found
any biological effects. Some studies have
suggested that some biological effects may
occur, but such findings have not been
confirmed by additional research. In some
cases, other researchers have had difficulty
in reproducing those studies, or in
determining the reasons for inconsistent
results.
2. What is the FDA’s role concerning the
safety of wireless phones?
Under the law, the FDA does not review the
safety of radiation-emitting consumer
products such as wireless phones before
they can be sold, as it does with new drugs
or medical devices. However, the agency has
authority to take action if wireless phones
are shown to emit radiofrequency energy
(RF) at a level that is hazardous to the user.
In such a case, the FDA could require the
manufacturers of wireless phones to notify
users of the health hazard and to repair,
replace, or recall the phones so that the
hazard no longer exists.
Although the existing scientific data do not
justify FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has
urged the wireless phone industry to take a
number of steps, including the following:
] Support needed research into possible
biological effects of RF of the type emitted
by wireless phones;
] Design wireless phones in a way that
minimizes any RF exposure to the user that
is not necessary for device function; and
] Cooperate in providing users of wireless
phones with the best possible information
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