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Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) and the
National Council on Radiation Protection and
Measurement. The exposure limit takes into
consideration the body’s ability to remove heat from
the tissues that absorb energy from the wireless
phone and is set well below levels known to have
effects. Manufacturers of wireless phones must report
the RF exposure level for each model of phone to the
FCC. The FCC website (http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/)
gives directions for locating the FCC identification
number on your phone so you can find your phone’s RF
exposure level in the online listing.
8. What has FDA done to measure the
radiofrequency energy coming from wireless
phones ?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE) is developing a technical standard for
measuring the radiofrequency energy (RF) exposure
from wireless phones and other wireless handsets
with the participation and leadership of FDA scientists
anring 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
radiofrequency 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 radiofrequency 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 convict 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
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