Audiovox 9155-GPX manual

“PCS” phones. These types of wireless phones can expose the user to measurable radiofrequency energy (RF) because of the short distance between the phone and the user’s head. These RF exposures are limited by Federal Communications Commission safety guidelines that were developed with the advice of FDA and other federal health and safety agencies. When the phone is located at greater distances from the user, the exposure to RF is drastically lower because a person’s RF exposure decreases rapidly with increasing distance from the source. The so-called “cordless phones,” which have a base unit connected to the telephone wiring in a house, typically operate at far lower power levels, and thus produce RF expo- sures far below the FCC safety limits.

4.What are the results of the research done already? The research done thus far has produced conflicting results, and many studies have suffered from flaws in their research methods. Animal experiments investigating the effects of radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures characteristic of wire- less phones have yielded conflicting results that often cannot be repeated in other laboratories. A few animal studies, how- ever, have suggested that low levels of RF could accelerate the development of cancer in laboratory animals. 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 pre-dis- posed 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 existence 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 expo- sure from wireless phones poses a health risk?

A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological stud- ies 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 stud- ies can provide data that is directly applicable to human popu- lations, but 10 or more years’ follow-up may be needed to pro- vide answers about some health effects, such as cancer. This is because the interval between the time of exposure to a can- cer-causing agent and the time tumors develop - if they do - may be many, many years. The interpretation of epidemiologi- cal studies is hampered by difficulties in measuring actual RF exposure during day-to-day use of wireless phones. Many fac- tors 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 impor- tant questions about the effects of exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF).

FDA has been a leading participant in the World Health Orga- nization International Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Project

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