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Safety
FDA and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Asso ciation
(CTIA) have a formal Cooperative Research and Developme nt
Agreement (CRADA) to do research on wireless phone safet y.
FDA provides the scientific oversight, obtaining input fro m experts
in government, industry, and academic organizations. CT IA-
funded research is conducted through contracts to independ ent
investigators. The initial research will include both labo ratory studies
and studies of wireless phone users.
The CRADA will also include a broad assessm ent of additional
research needs in the context of the latest research developme nts
around the world.
What steps can I take to reduce my exp osure to radiofrequency energy f rom my wireless phone?If there is a risk from these products—and at this p oint we do not
know that there is—it is probably very sm all.
But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you c an
take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to radiofrequency
energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a
person receives, reducing the amount of time spent us ing a wireless
phone will reduce RF exposure.
If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless p hone
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 car ry
the wireless phone away from your body or use a wireless ph one
connected to a remote antenna.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireles s phones
are harmful. But if you are concerned about the R F exposure from
these products, you can use measures like those describe d above to
reduce your RF exposure from wireless phone use.
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