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Safety
Safety
8. What has the FDA done to measure the Radio Frequency energy
coming from wireless phones?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a
technical standard for measuring the Radio Frequency energy (RF) exposure
from wireless phones and other wireless handsets with the participation and
leadership of FDA scientists and engineers. The standard, "Recommended
Practice for Determining the Spatial-Peak Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in
the Human Body Due to Wireless Communications Devices: Experimental
Techniques," sets forth the first consistent test methodology for measuring
the rate at which RF is deposited in the heads of wireless phone users. The
test method uses a tissue-simulating model of the human head.
Standardized SAR test methodology is expected to greatly improve the
consistency of measurements made at different laboratories on the same
phone. SAR is the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed in tissue,
either by the whole body or a small part of the body. It is measured in
watts/kg (or milliwatts/g) of matter. This measurement is used to determine
whether a wireless phone complies with safety guidelines.
9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to Radio Frequency
energy from my wireless phone?
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 you are concerned about avoiding
even potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your
exposure to Radio Frequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how
much exposure 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.
10. 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
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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.
11. What about wireless phone interference with medical equipment?
Radio Frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with some
electronic devices. For this reason, the 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 the 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.
The FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from handheld 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.
The FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible
interactions with other medical devices. Should harmful interference be
found to occur, the FDA will conduct testing to assess the interference and
work to resolve the problem.
12. Where can I find additional information?
For additional information, please refer to the following resources:
FDA web page on wireless phones
(http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/phones/index.html)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety Program
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
International Commission on Non-lonizing Radiation Protection
(http://www.icnirp.de)
World Health Organization (WHO) International EMF Project
(http://www.who.int/emf)
National Radiological Protection Board (UK)
(http://www.nrpb.org.uk/)
variations in measurements.
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