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Safety
FDA Information
U.S. Food and Drug Administrati on
Cell Phone Facts
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones

kWhat kinds of phon es are the subject of th is

update?

The term “wireless pho ne” refers here to hand-held wi reless phones
with built-in antennas, often c alled “cell,”“mobile,” or “PCS” phones.
These types of wirele ss phones can expose the us er to measurable
radiofrequency energ y (RF) because of the s hort distance betwe en the
phone and the user’s head. These R F exposures are limited by Fede ral
Communications Commi ssion safety guidelin es that were developed
with the advice of FDA and other fed eral health and safety a gencies.
When the phone is located at g reater distances from the u ser, the
exposure to RF is drastically l ower because a person’s RF exposure
decreases rapidly w ith increasing distanc e from the source. The so-
called “cordless phone s,” which have a base unit connecte d to the
telephone wiring in a hous e, typically operate at far l ower power levels,
and thus produce RF exposur es well within the FCC’s complianc e limits.

kDo wireless phone s pose a health hazard?

The available scientif ic evidence does not show that a ny health
problems are associate d with using wireless pho nes. There is no proof,
however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones emit
low levels of radiofrequency e nergy (RF) in the micr owave range while
being used. They also emit ve ry low levels of RF when in the st and-by
mode. Whereas high levels of R F can produce health ef fects (by heating
tissue), exposure to low leve l RF that does not produce heat ing effects
causes no known adverse he alth effects. Many studie s of low level RF
exposures have not found any biol ogical effects. Some stu dies have
suggested that some biol ogical effects may occ ur, but such findings