Palm 700P Cell Phone User Manual


 
Using Your Treo 700P Smartphone 297
Regulatory information
NEPA responsibilities and has considered adopting guidelines for
evaluating RF exposure from U.S. Government transmitters such
as radar and military facilities.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has conducted research on
the biological effects of RF energy for a number of years. This
research is now conducted primarily at the U.S. Air Force
Research Laboratory located at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. The
DOD Web site for RF biological effects information is listed with
other sites in conjunction with a question on other sources of
information, below.
Who funds and carries out research on the biological
effects of RF energy? Research into possible biological effects
of RF energy is carried out in laboratories in the United States
and around the world. In the U.S., most research has been
funded by the Department of Defense, due to the extensive
military use of RF equipment such as radar and high-powered
radio transmitters. In addition, some federal agencies
responsible for health and safety, such as the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), have sponsored and conducted research in
this area. At the present time, most of the non-military research
on biological effects of RF energy in the U.S. is being funded by
industry organizations. More research is being carried out
overseas, particularly in Europe.
In 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the
International EMF Project to review the scientific literature and
work towards resolution of health concerns over the use of RF
technology. WHO maintains a Web site that provides extensive
information on this project and about RF biological effects and
research (www.who.ch/peh-emf
).
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.
How does FCC Audit Cell Smartphone RF? After FCC
grants permission for a particular cellular telephone to be
marketed, FCC will occasionally conduct “post-grant” testing to
determine whether production versions of the smartphone are
being produced to conform with FCC regulatory requirements.
The manufacturer of a cell smartphone that does not meet FCC's
regulatory requirements may be required to remove the cell
smartphone from use and to refund the purchase price or provide
a replacement smartphone, and may be subject to civil or
criminal penalties. In addition, if the cell smartphone presents a
risk of injury to the user, FDA may also take regulatory action.
The most important post-grant test, from a consumer's
perspective, is testing of the RF emissions of the smartphone.
FCC measures the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the
smartphone, following a very rigorous testing protocol. As is true
for nearly any scientific measurement, there is a possibility that
the test measurement may be less than or greater than the actual
RF emitted by the smartphone. This difference between the RF
test measurement and actual RF emission is because test
measurements are limited by instrument accuracy, because test
measurement and actual use environments are different, and
other variable factors. This inherent variability is known as
“measurement uncertainty.” When FCC conducts post-grant
testing of a cell smartphone, FCC takes into account any
measurement uncertainty to when determining whether
regulatory action is appropriate. This approach ensures that
when FCC takes regulatory action, it will have a sound, defensible
scientific basis.
FDA scientific staff reviewed the methodology used by FCC to
measure cell smartphone RF, and agreed it is an acceptable
approach, given our current understanding of the risks presented
by cellular smartphone RF emissions. RF emissions from cellular
smartphones have not been shown to present a risk of injury to
the user when the measured SAR is less than the safety limits set
by FCC (an SAR of 1.6 w/kg). Even in a case where the maximum
measurement uncertainty permitted by current measurement
standards was added to the maximum permissible SAR, the
resulting SAR value would be well below any level known to
produce an acute effect. Consequently, FCC's approach with
measurement uncertainty will not result in consumers being
exposed to any known risk from the RF emitted by cellular
telephones.
FDA will continue to monitor studies and literature reports
concerning acute effects of cell smartphone RF, and concerning
chronic effects of long-term exposure to cellular telephone RF
(that is, the risks from using a cell smartphone for many years).