Safety Guidelines
FDA Consumer Update
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Centre for Devices and Radiological
Health Consumer Update on Mobile
Phones.
1 . Do wireless phones pose a health
hazard?
The available scientific evidence does
not show that any health problems
are associated with using wireless
phones. There is no proof, however,
that wireless phones are absolutely
safe. Wireless phones emit low levels
of radio frequency(RF) energy in the
microwave range while being used.
They also emit very low levels of RF
when in the standby mode. Whereas
high levels of RF can produce health
effects (by heating tissue), exposure
to low level RF that does not produce
heating effects causes no known
adverse health effects. Many studies
of low level RF exposures have not
found any biological effects. Some
studies have suggested that some
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biological effects may occur, but such
findings have not been confirmed
by additional research. In some
cases, other researchers have had
difficulty in reproducing those studies,
or in determining the reasons for
inconsistent results.
2 . What is the FDA's role concerning the
safety of wireless phones?
Under the law, the FDA does not
review the safety of radiation-emitting
consumer products such as wireless
phones before they can be sold, as
it does with new drugs or medical
devices. However, the agency has
authority to take action if wireless
phones are shown to emit radio
frequency(RF) energy at a level that
is hazardous to the user. In such
a case, the FDA could require the
manufacturers of wireless phones to
notify users of the health hazard and to
repair, replace, or recall the phones so
that the hazard no longer exists.
Although the existing scientific data