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Health and Safety Information 216
Section 13: Health and Safety Information
This section outlines the safety precautions associated with using
your phone. The terms “mobile device” or “cell phone” are used
in this section to refer to your phone.
Read this information before
using your mobile device
.
Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) Signals
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published
information for consumers relating to Radio Frequency (RF)
exposure from wireless phones. The FDA publication includes the
following information:
Do cell phones pose a health hazard?
Many people are concerned that cell phone radiation will cause
cancer or other serious health hazards. The weight of scientific
evidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems.
Cell phones emit low levels of Radio Frequency (RF) energy. Over
the past 15 years, scientists have conducted hundreds of studies
looking at the biological effects of the radio frequency energy
emitted by cell phones. While some researchers have reported
biological changes associated with RF energy, these studies have
failed to be replicated. The majority of studies published have
failed to show an association between exposure to radio
frequency from a cell phone and health problems.
The low levels of RF cell phones emit while in use are in the
microwave frequency range. They also emit RF at substantially
reduced time intervals when in the stand-by mode. 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.
The biological effects of radio frequency energy should not be
confused with the effects from other types of electromagnetic
energy.
Very high levels of electromagnetic energy, such as is found in
X-rays and gamma rays, can ionize biological tissues. Ionization
is a process where electrons are stripped away from their normal
locations in atoms and molecules. It can permanently damage
biological tissues including DNA, the genetic material.
The energy levels associated with radio frequency energy,
including both radio waves and microwaves, are not great
enough to cause ionization of atoms and molecules. Therefore,
RF energy is a type of non-ionizing radiation. Other types of
non-ionizing radiation include visible light, infrared radiation
(heat), and other forms of electromagnetic radiation with
relatively low frequencies.