17 add’l safety information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological
Health Consumer Update on Mobile Phones
FDA has been receiving inquiries about the safety of mobile phones, including cellular phones and PCS phones. The following summarizes what is known—and what remains unknown—about whether these products can pose a hazard to health, and what can be done to minimize any potential risk. This information may be used to respond to questions.
Why the concern?
Mobile phones emit low levels of radio frequency energy (i.e., radio frequency radiation) in the microwave range while being used. They also emit very low levels of radio frequency energy (RF), considered non-significant, when in the stand-by mode. It is well known that high levels of RF can produce biological damage through heating effects (this is how your microwave oven is able to cook food). However, it is not known whether, to what extent, or through what mechanism, lower levels of RF might cause adverse health effects as well. Although some research has been done to address these questions, no clear picture of the biological effects of this type of radiation has emerged to date. Thus, the available science does not allow us to conclude that mobile phones are absolutely safe, or that they are unsafe. However, the available scientific evidence does not demonstrate any adverse health effects associated with the use of mobile phones.
What kinds of phones are in question?
Questions have been raised about hand-held mobile phones, the kind that have a built-in antenna that is positioned close to the user's head during normal telephone conversation. These types
