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Consumer update
Consumer update
z design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user that is not
necessary for device function; and
z cooperate in providing mobile phone users with the best possible information on what
is known about possible effects of mobile phone use on human health.
At the same time, FDA belongs to an interagency working group of the federal agencies
that have responsibility for different aspects of mobile phone safety to ensure a
coordinated effort at the federal level. These agencies are:
z National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
z Environmental Protection Agency
z Federal Communications Commission
z Occupational Health and Safety Administration
z National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Institutes of Health also participates in this group.
In the absence of conclusive information about any
possible risk, what can concerned individuals do?
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 people are concerned about avoiding even potential risks,
there are simple steps they can take to do so. For example, time is a key factor in how
much exposure a person receives. Those persons who spend long periods of time on their
hand-held mobile phones could consider holding lengthy conversations on conventional
phones and reserving the hand-held models for shorter conversations or for situations
when other types of phones are not available.
People who must conduct extended conversations in their cars every day could switch to
a type of mobile phone that places more distance between their bodies and the source of
the RF, since the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, they
could switch to
z a mobile phone in which the antenna is located outside the vehicle,
z a hand-held phone with a built-in antenna connected to a different antenna mounted
on the outside of the car or built into a separate package, or
z a headset with a remote antenna to a mobile phone carried at the waist.
Again, the scientific data do not
demonstrate that mobile phones are harmful. But if
people are concerned about the radiofrequency energy from these products, taking the
simple precautions outlined above can reduce any possible risk.
Where can I find additional information?
For additional information, see the following websites:
z Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
RF Safety Program (select “Information on Human Exposure to RF Fields from
X70_US_Text.fm Page 142 Tuesday, March 9, 2004 1:21 PM