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9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to
Radio Frequency 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
Radio Frequency (RF) energy. 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. 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 Radio Frequency
(RF) energy, 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 using 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?
Radio Frequency (RF) energy from wireless phones can interact
with some electronic devices. For this reason, the FDA helped
develop a detailed test method to measure Electro Magnetic
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 the 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.
The 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 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.
The FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for
possible interactions with other medical devices. Should harmful
interference be found to occur, the FDA will conduct testing to
assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.