FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
SAFETY AND WARRANTY
ential 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 labora-
tory 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.
7. How can I find out how much radiofrequency energy exposure
I can get by using my wireless phone?
All phones sold in the United States must comply with Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines that limit radiofrequency
energy (RF) exposures. FCC established these guidelines in consultation
with FDA and the other federal health and safety agencies. The FCC limit
for RF exposure from wireless telephones is set at a Specific Absorption
Rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC limit is consis-
tent with the safety standards developed by the Institute of 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 develop-
ing 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 and engineers. The
standard, “Recommended Practice for Determining the Spatial-Peak
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in the Human Body Due to Wireless
Communications Devices: Experimental Techniques,” sets forth the
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172
However, many of the studies that showed increased tumor develop-
ment used animals that had been genetically engineered or treated
with cancer-causing chemicals so as to be predisposed to develop cancer
in the absence of RF exposure. Other studies exposed the animals to
RF for up to 22 hours per day. These conditions are not similar to the
conditions under which people use wireless phones, so we don’t know
with certainty what the results of such studies mean for human health.
Three large epidemiology studies have been published since December
2000. Between them, the studies investigated any possible association
between the use of wireless phones and primary brain cancer, glioma,
meningioma, or acoustic neu-roma, tumors of the brain or salivary gland,
leukemia, or other cancers. None of the studies demonstrated the exis-
tence of any harmful health effects from wireless phone RF exposures.
However, none of the studies can answer questions about long-term
exposures, since the average period of phone use in these studies was
around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure from
wireless phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological studies of
people actually using wireless phones would provide some of the data
that are needed. Lifetime animal exposure studies could be completed in
a few years. However, very large numbers of animals would be needed
to provide reliable proof of a cancer promoting effect if one exists.
Epidemiological studies can provide data that is directly applicable to
human populations, but 10 or more years’ follow-up may be needed
to provide answers about some health effects, such as cancer. This is
because the interval between the time of exposure to a cancer-causing
agent and the time tumors develop - if they do -may be many, many
years. The interpretation of epidemiological studies is hampered by dif-
ficulties in measuring actual RF exposure during day-to-day use of wire-
less phones. Many factors affect this measurement, such as the angle at
which the phone is held, or which model of phone is used.
6. 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 radiofrequency energy (RF). FDA has been
a leading participant in the World Health Organization International
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Project since its inception in 1996. An influ-
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