Safety Guidelines
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FDA Consumer Update
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center
for Devices and Radiological Health Consumer
Update on Mobile Phones.
1. Do wireless phones pose a health
hazard?
The available scientific evidence does
not show that any health problems are
associated with using wireless phones.
There is no proof, however, that wireless
phones are absolutely safe. Wireless
phones emit low levels of radiofrequency
energy (RF) in the microwave range
while being used. They also emit very
low levels of RF when in the Home
screen. Whereas high levels of RF can
produce health effects (by heating tissue),
exposure to low level RF that does not
produce heating effects causes no known
adverse health effects. Many studies of
low level RF exposures have not found
any biological effects. Some studies have
suggested that some biological effects
may occur, but such findings have not
been confirmed by additional research. In
some cases, other researchers have had
difficulty in reproducing those studies, or
in determining the reasons for inconsistent
results.
2. What is the FDA’s role concerning the
safety of wireless phones?
Under the law, the FDA does not review
the safety of radiation-emitting consumer
products such as wireless phones before
they can be sold, as it does with new drugs
or medical devices. However, the agency
has authority to take action if wireless
phones are shown to emit radiofrequency
energy (RF) at a level that is hazardous to
the user. In such a case, the FDA could
require the manufacturers of wireless
phones to notify users of the health hazard
and to repair, replace, or recall the phones
so that the hazard no longer exists.
Although the existing scientific data do not
justify FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has
urged the wireless phone industry to take a
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