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Health and Safety Information 120
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield
the head from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from wireless
phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that claim to shield the head
from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that claim to shield the user from
RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a
metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these products
generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "hand-free" kits, these so-called
"shields" may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The phone may be
forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption. In
February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies that
sold devices that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with
making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these defendants
lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim.
What about wireless phone interference with
medical equipment?
Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with some electronic
devices. For this reason, FDA helped develop a detailed test method to measure
electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted cardiac pacemakers and
defibrillators from wireless telephones. This test method is now part of a standard
sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Medical instrumentation
(AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA, medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard will allow
manufacturers to ensure that cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from
wireless phone EMI. FDA has tested wireless phones and helped develop a voluntary
standard sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). This
standard specifies test methods and performance requirements for hearing aids and
wireless phones so that no interference occurs when a person uses a compatible
phone and a compatible hearing aid at the same time. This standard was approved
by the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible interactions with
other medical devices. Should harmful interference be found to occur, FDA will
conduct testing to assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.