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Safety Guidelines
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 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
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