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Safety
On the other hand, if the phone is mounted against the waist or other
part of the body during use, then that part of the body will absorb
more RF energy. Wireless phones marketed in the U.S. are required to
meet safety requirements regardless of whether they are used against
the head or against the body. Either configuration should result in
compliance with the safety limit.
k Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield
the head from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from
wireless phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that
claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. Some
products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special
phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic
accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these
products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike “hands-free” kits,
these so-called “shields” may interfere with proper operation of the
phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate,
leading to an increase in RF absorption. In February 2002, the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies that sold devices
that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with making
false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these defendants
lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim.
k What about wireless phone interference with
medical equipment?
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with
some electronic devices. For this reason, FDA helped develop a detailed
test method to measure electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted
cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators from wireless telephones.
This test method is now part of a standard sponsored by the
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
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