SAFETY

7. How can I find out how much Radio Frequency 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 Radio Frequency (RF) energy

 

exposures. The FCC established these guidelines in

 

consultation with the FDA and the other federal

 

health and safety agencies. The FCC limit for RF

 

exposure from wireless phones is set at a Specific

 

Absorption Rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6

 

W/kg). The FCC limit is consistent 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

 

S

ability to remove heat from the tissues that absorb

AF

energy from the wireless phone and is set well below

ET

levels known to have effects. Manufacturers of wireless

Y

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 the FDA done to measure the Radio Frequency energy coming from wireless phones?

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a technical standard for measuring the Radio Frequency (RF) energy 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 first consistent test methodology for measuring the rate at which RF is deposited in the heads of wireless phone users. The test method uses a tissue- simulating model of the human head. Standardized SAR test methodology is expected to greatly improve the consistency of measurements made at different laboratories on the same phone. SAR is the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed in tissue, either by the whole body or a small part of the body. It is measured in watts/kg (or milliwatts/g) of matter. This measurement is used to determine whether a wireless phone complies with safety guidelines.

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