Filter
Top Products
82
Although the existing scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory
actions at this time, the FDA has urged the mobile phone industry to
take a number of steps to assure public safety. The agency has
recommended that the industry support needed research into
possible biological effects of RF of the type emitted by mobile phones,
design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to
the user that is not necessary for device function, and 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, the 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:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Communications Commission
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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 minimize the risk. For example, time is a key factor in
how much exposure a person receives. Those persons who spend
long periods of time on their handheld mobile phones could consider
holding lengthy conversations on conventional phones and reserving
the handheld 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 a mobile phone in which the antenna is located outside the
vehicle, a handheld 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 a headset with a remote antenna to a mobile
phone carried at the waist.
83
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:
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety Program
(select Information on Human Exposure to RF Fields from Cellular
and PCS Radio Transmitters): http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety
World Health Organization (WHO) International Commission on Non-
Ionizing Radiation Protection (select Q’s &A’s):
http://www.who.int/emf
United Kingdom, National Radiological Protection Board:
http://www.nrpb.org.uk
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA): http://
www.wow-com.com
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and
Radiological Health: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/