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Section 14: Health and Safety Information 157
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
Section 14
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
published a series of Questions and Answers for
consumers relating to radio frequency (RF) exposure
from wireless phones. The FDA publication includes
the following information:
What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?
The term wireless phone refers here to hand-held
wireless phones with built-in antennas, often called
"cell," "mobile," or "PCS" phones. These types of
wireless phones can expose the user to measurable
radio frequency energy (RF) because of the short
distance between the phone and the user's head. These
RF exposures are limited by Federal Communications
Commission safety guidelines that were developed
with the advice of FDA and other federal health and
safety agencies. When the phone is located at greater
distances from the user, the exposure to RF is
drastically lower because a person's RF exposure
decreases rapidly with increasing distance from the
source. The so-called "cordless phones," which have a
base unit connected to the telephone wiring in a house,
typically operate at far lower power levels, and thus
produce RF exposures well within the FCC's
compliance limits.
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