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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 energy
(RF). 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 energy (RF), 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 energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with
some electronic devices. For this reason, the 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 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.
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