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Section 4A: Safety Guidelines 168
FDA, EPA and other US government agencies responsible for public health and
safety have worked together and in connection with WHO to monitor
developments and identify research needs related to RF biological effects.
What levels of RF energy are considered safe?
Various organizations and countries have developed standards for exposure to
radiofrequency energy. These standards recommend safe levels of exposure for
both the general public and for workers. In the United States, the FCC has used
safety guidelines for RF environmental exposure since 1985.
The FCC guidelines for human exposure to RF electromagnetic fields are
derived from the recommendations of two expert organizations, the National
Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) and the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In both cases, the recommendations
were developed by scientific and engineering experts drawn from industry,
government, and academia after extensive reviews of the scientific literature
related to the biological effects of RF energy.
Many countries in Europe and elsewhere use exposure guidelines developed by
the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
The ICNIRP safety limits are generally similar to those of the NCRP and IEEE,
with a few exceptions. For example, ICNIRP recommends different exposure
levels in the lower and upper frequency ranges and for localized exposure from
certain products such as hand-held wireless telephones. Currently, the World