User's Manual

Consum e r I nfor m at ion on W ir ele ss Phones
The U.S. Food and Drug Adm inist ration ( FDA) has published a series of
Quest ions and Answers for consum ers relating t o radio frequency ( RF)
exposure from wireless phones. The FDA publicat ion includes the
following inform ation:
W hat k inds of phones are t h e subj e ct of t his u pdat e ?
The t erm wireless phone refers here t o hand- held wireless phones with
built-in ant ennas, oft en called “ cell,” “ m obile,” or “ PCS” phones. These
types of wireless phones can expose t he user t o m easurable radio
frequency energy ( RF) because of the short dist ance between the phone
and the user's head. These RF exposures are lim it ed by Federal
Com m unications Com m ission safet y guidelines that were developed with
the advice of FDA and other federal health and safety agencies. When t he
phone is located at great er distances from t he user, t he exposure t o RF is
drastically lower because a person's RF exposure decreases rapidly with
increasing dist ance from t he source. The so-called “ cordless phones,”
which have a base unit connect ed t o the t elephone wiring in a house,
typically operate at far lower power levels, and t hus produce RF
exposures well within t he FCC's com pliance lim its.
Do w ireless ph ones pose a healt h ha zard?
The available scient ific evidence does not show that any health problem s
are associated with using wireless phones. There is no proof, however,
that wireless phones are absolut ely safe. Wireless phones em it low levels
of radio frequency energy ( RF) in t he m icrowave range while being used.
They also em it very low levels of RF when in the st and- by m ode. Whereas
high levels of RF can produce healt h effect s ( by heat ing tissue), exposure
to low level RF t hat does not produce heating effect s causes no known
adverse health effects. Many st udies of low level RF exposures have not
found any biological effect s. Som e studies have suggested t hat som e
biological effect s m ay occur, but such findings have not been confirm ed
by additional research. I n som e cases, other researchers have had
difficult y in reproducing t hose st udies, or in determ ining the reasons for
inconsistent results.
W hat is FD A's r ole concerning t he sa fety of w ireless phones?
Under t he law, FDA does not review t he safety of radiat ion- em itting
consum er product s such as wireless phones before t hey can be sold, as it
does with new drugs or m edical devices. However, t he agency has
authority t o take act ion if wireless phones are shown to em it radio
frequency energy ( RF) at a level that is hazardous to t he user. I n such a
case, FDA could require t he m anufact urers of wireless phones t o notify
users of t he health hazard and t o repair, replace or recall the phones so
that t he hazard no longer exist s.
Alt hough t he exist ing scient ific data do not j ust ify FDA regulat ory act ions,
FDA has urged t he wireless phone indust ry t o t ake a num ber of steps,
including t he following: