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Safety Guidelines
FDA Consumer Update
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 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 Home screen. 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