Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's
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 Radio Frequency
(RF) energy in the microwave range while
being used. They also emit very low levels
of RF when in standby mode. 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
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FDA Consumer
Update
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 Radio Frequency
(RF) energy 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
number of steps, including the following:
Support needed research into possible
●
biological effects of the type of RF
emitted by wireless phones;