FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
9.What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to radiofrequency energy from my wireless phone?
If there is a risk from these
•If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless phone every day, you could place more distance between your body and the source of the RF, since the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, you could use a headset and carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a wireless phone connected to a remote antenna.
CH 5
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But if you are concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use measures like those described above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless phone use.
10. What about children using wireless phones? The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless phones, including children and teenagers.
FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
If you want to take steps to lower exposure to radiofre- quency energy (RF), the measures described above would apply to children and teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the time of wireless phone use and increasing the distance between the user and the RF source will reduce RF exposure. Some groups spon- sored by other national governments have advised that children be discouraged from using wireless phones at all. For example, the government in the United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such a recommendation in December 2000. They noted that no evidence exists that
11. What about wireless phone interference with |
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medical equipment? |
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Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can | CH 5 |
interact with some electronic devices. For this reason, |
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FDA helped develop a detailed test method to measure |
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electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted car- |
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diac pacemakers and defibrillators from wireless tele- |
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phones. This test method is now part of a standard |
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sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of |
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Medical instrumentation (AAMI). The final draft, a joint |
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effort by FDA, medical device manufacturers, and |
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many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This |
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standard will allow manufacturers to ensure that car- |
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diac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from wire- |
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less phone EMI. |
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132 | 133 |