LG H918 - What does “SAR” mean?

For Your Safety 151
Are wireless phones safe?
Scientific research on the subject of wireless phones and radio frequency (“RF”)
energy has been conducted worldwide for many years, and continues. In the United
States, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and the Federal Communications
Commission (“FCC”) set policies and procedures for wireless phones. The FDA
issued a website publication on health issues related to cell phone usage where it
states, “The scientific community at large … believes that the weight of scientific
evidence does not show an association between exposure to radiofrequency (RF)
from cell phones and adverse health outcomes. Still the scientific community
does recommend conducting additional research to address gaps in knowledge.
That research is being conducted around the world and FDA continues to
monitor developments in this field. You can access the joint FDA/FCC website at
http://www.fda.gov (under “c”in the subject index, select Cell Phones > Research).
You can also contact the FDA toll-free at (888) 463-6332 or (888) INFO-FDA.
In June 2000, the FDA entered into a cooperative research and development
agreement through which additional scientific research is being conducted. The FCC
issued its own website publication stating that “there is no scientific evidence that
proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or a variety of other problems,
including headaches, dizziness or memory loss.” This publication is available at
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cellular.html or through the FCC at (888) 225-5322 or
(888) CALL-FCC.
What does “SAR” mean?
In 1996, the FCC, working with the FDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
and other agencies, established RF exposure safety guidelines for wireless phones
in the United States. Before a wireless phone model is available for sale to the
public, it must be tested by the manufacturer and certified to the FCC that it does
not exceed limits established by the FCC. One of these limits is expressed as a
Specific Absorption Rate, or “SAR.” SAR is a measure of the rate of absorption of RF
energy in the body. Tests for SAR are conducted with the phone transmitting at its
highest power level in all tested frequency bands. Since 1996, the FCC has required
that the SAR of handheld wireless phones not exceed 1.6 watts per kilogram,
averaged over one gram of tissue. Although the SAR is determined at the highest
power level, the actual SAR value of a wireless phone while operating can be less
than the reported SAR value. This is because the SAR value may vary from call to
call, depending on factors such as proximity to a cell site, the proximity of the phone
to the body while in use, and the use of hands-free devices.