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Health and safety
FDA shares regulatory responsibilities for wireless
phones with the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). All phones that are sold in the United States
must comply with FCC safety guidelines that limit RF
exposure. FCC relies on FDA and other health agencies
for safety questions about wireless phones.
FCC also regulates the base stations that the wireless
phone networks rely upon. While these base stations
operate at higher power than do the wireless phones
themselves, the RF exposures that people get from
these base stations are typically thousands of times
lower than those they can get from wireless phones.
Base stations are thus not the primary subject of the
safety questions discussed in this document.
4. What is FDA doing to find out more about the
possible health effects of wireless phone RF?
FDA is working with the U.S. National Toxicology
Program and with groups of investigators around the
world to ensure that high priority animal studies are
conducted to address important questions about the
effects of exposure to radio frequency energy (RF).
FDA has been a leading participant in the World Health
Organization International Electromagnetic Fields
(EMF) Project since its inception in 1996. An influential
result of this work has been the development of a
detailed agenda of research needs that has driven the
establishment of new research programs around the
world. The Project has also helped develop a series of
public information documents on EMF issues.
FDA and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association (CTIA) have a formal Cooperative
Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to do
research on wireless phone safety. FDA provides the
scientific oversight, obtaining input from experts in
government, industry, and academic organizations.
CTIA-funded research is conducted through contracts
to independent investigators. The initial research will
include both laboratory studies and studies of wireless
phone users. The CRADA will also include a broad
assessment of additional research needs in the
context of the latest research developments around
the world.
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5. 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.
6. 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.