Additional Health and Safety Information

cancers by the National Cancer Institute is expected to bear on the accuracy and repeatability of these results.1

2Researchers conducted a large battery of laboratory tests to assess the effects of exposure to mobile phone RF on genetic material. These included tests for several kinds of abnormalities, including mutations, chromosomal aberrations, DNA strand breaks, and structural changes in the genetic material of blood cells called lymphocytes. None of the tests showed any effect of the RF except for the micronucleus assay, which detects structural effects on the genetic material. The cells in this assay showed changes after exposure to simulated cell phone radiation, but only after 24 hours of exposure. It is possible that exposing the test cells to radiation for this long resulted in heating. Since this assay is known to be sensitive to heating, heat alone could have caused the abnormalities to occur. The data already in the literature on the response

of the micronucleus assay to RF are conflicting. Thus, follow-up research is necessary.2

FDA is currently working with government, industry, and academic groups to ensure the proper follow-up to these industry-funded research findings. Collaboration with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) in particular is expected to lead to FDA providing research recommendations and scientific oversight of new CTIA- funded research based on such recommendations.

Two other studies of interest have been reported recently in the literature:

1Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals under laboratory conditions while

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