Health and Safety Information 76
more than a metallic accessory attached to the
phone. Studies have shown that these products
generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "hand-
free" kits, these so-called "shields" may interfere
with proper operation of the phone. The phone may
be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading
to an increase in RF absorption. In February 2002,
the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two
companies that sold devices that claimed to protect
wireless phone users from radiation with making
false and unsubstantiated claims.
According to FTC, these defendants lacked a
reasonable basis to substantiate their claim.
What about wireless phone interference with
medical equipment?
Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones
can interact with some electronic devices. For this
reason, 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 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.
FDA has tested 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.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones
for possible interactions with other medical devices.
Should harmful interference be found to occur, FDA
will conduct testing to assess the interference and
work to resolve the problem.
Additional information on the safety of RF exposures
from various sources can be obtained from the
following organizations (Updated 12/9/2008):
•
FCC RF Safety Program:
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/
•
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/
•
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA):
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/
index.html
•
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH):
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
•
World Health Organization (WHO):
http://www.who.int/peh-emf/
•
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
Protection:
http://www.icnirp.de
•
Health Protection Agency:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation
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