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Health and Safety Information 74
a person receives, reducing the amount of time spent
using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.
•
If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless
phone every day, you could place more distance between
your body and the source of the RF, since the exposure
level drops off dramatically with distance. For example,
you could use a headset and carry the wireless phone
away from your body or use a wireless phone connected
to a remote antenna.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that
wireless phones are harmful. But if you are
concerned about the RF exposure from these
products, you can use measures like those described
above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless
phone use.
What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to
users of wireless phones, including children and
teenagers. If you want to take steps to lower
exposure to radio frequency energy (RF), the
measures described above would apply to children
and teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the
time of wireless phone use and increasing the
distance between the user and the RF source will
reduce RF exposure.
Some groups sponsored by other national
governments have advised that children be
discouraged from using wireless phones at all. For
example, the government in the United Kingdom
distributed leaflets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000.
They noted that no evidence exists that using a
wireless phone causes brain tumors or other ill
effects. Their recommendation to limit wireless
phone use by children was strictly precautionary; it
was not based on scientific evidence that any health
hazard exists.
Do hands-free kits for wireless phones reduce
risks from exposure to RF emissions?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason
to believe that hands-free kits reduce risks. Hands-
free kits can be used with wireless phones for
convenience and comfort. These systems reduce the
absorption of RF energy in the head because the
phone, which is the source of the RF emissions, will
not be placed against the head. On the other hand, if
the phone is mounted against the waist or other part
of the body during use, then that part of the body will
absorb more RF energy. Wireless phones marketed in
the U.S. are required to meet safety requirements
regardless of whether they are used against the head
or against the body. Either configuration should result
in compliance with the safety limit.
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