The FDA also is working with voluntary standard-setting bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP), and others to assure that safety standards continue to adequately protect the public.
Reducing Exposure: Hands‑Free Kits and Other Accessories
Steps to Reduce Exposure to Radio Frequency Energy
If there is a risk from being exposed to radio frequency energy (RF) from cell phones - 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 RF exposure.
●
Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone;
●
Use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between your head and the cell
phone.
Hands-Free Kits
Hands-free kits may include audio or Bluetooth® headsets and various types of body-worn accessories
such as belt-clips and holsters. Combinations of these can be used to reduce RF energy absorption
from cell phones.
Headsets can substantially reduce exposure because the phone is held away from the head in the user’s
hand or in approved body-worn accessories. Cell phones marketed in the U.S. are required to meet RF
exposure compliance requirements when used against the head and against the body.
Because there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from cell phones, there is no reason
to believe that hands-free kits reduce risks. Hands-free kits can be used for convenience and comfort.
They are also required by law in many states if you want to use your phone while driving.
Cell Phone Accessories that Claim to Shield the Head from RF Radiation
Because there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from cell phones, there is no reason
to believe that accessories which claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. Some
products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve
nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone.
Studies have shown that these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike “hands-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.
Children and Cell Phones
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to any users of cell phones from RF exposure, including
children and teenagers. The steps adults can take to reduce RF exposure apply to children and teenagers
as well.
●
Reduce the amount of time spent on the cell phone;
●
Use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between the head and the cell
phone.
Some groups sponsored by other national governments have advised that children be discouraged
from using cell phones at all. For example, The Stewart Report from the United Kingdom made such
a recommendation in December 2000. In this report, a group of independent experts noted that no
evidence exists that using a cell phone causes brain tumors or other ill effects. Their recommendation
to limit cell phone use by children was strictly precautionary; it was not based on scientific evidence that
any health hazard exists.
Interphone Study
Interphone is a large international study designed to determine whether cell phones increase the risk
of head and neck cancer. A report published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (June, 2010)
compared cell phone usage for more than 5,000 people with brain tumors (glioma and meningioma)
and a similar number of healthy controls.
Results of this study did NOT show that cell phones caused brain cancer. In this study, most people
had no increased risk of brain cancer from using cell phones. For people with the heaviest use of cell
phones (an average of more than ½ hour per day, every day, for over 10 years) the study suggested a
slight increase in brain cancer. However, the authors determined that biases and errors prevented any
conclusions being drawn from this data. Additional information about Interphone can be found at
www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2010/pdfs/pr200_E.pdf.
Interphone is the largest cell phone study to date, but it did not answer all questions about cell phone
safety. Additional research is being conducted around the world, and the FDA continues to monitor
developments in this field.
International Cohort Study on Mobile Phone Users (COSMOS)
The COSMOS study aims to conduct long-term health monitoring of a large group of people to
determine if there are any health issues linked to long-term exposure to radio frequency energy from cell
phone use. The COSMOS study will follow approximately 300,000 adult cell phone users in Europe for
20 to 30 years. Additional information about the COSMOS study can be found at
www.ukcosmos.org/index.html.
Risk of Brain Cancer from Exposure to Radio Frequency Fields in Childhood and Adolescence (MOBI-KIDS)
MOBI-KIDS is an international study investigating the relationship between exposure to radio frequency
energy from communication technologies including cell phones and brain cancer in young people. This
is an international multi-center study involving 14 European and non-European countries. Additional
information about MOBI-KIDS can be found at
www.creal.cat/programes-recerca/en_projectes-creal/view.php?ID=39.
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) actively follows cancer statistics in the United States to detect
any change in rates of new cases for brain cancer. If cell phones play a role in risk for brain cancer,
rates should go up, because heavy cell phone use has been common for quite some time in the U.S.
Between 1987 and 2005, the overall age-adjusted incidence of brain cancer did not increase. Additional
information about SEER can be found at http://seer.cancer.gov/.
Cell Phone Industry Actions
Although the existing scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has urged the cell
phone industry to take a number of steps, including the following:
●
Support-needed research on possible biological effects of RF for the type of signal
emitted by cell phones;
●
Design cell phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user; and
●
Cooperate in providing users of cell phones with the current information on cell phone use
and human health concerns.
