Samsung SCH-U485 User Manual page 11

2000. Bet ween t hem , t he st udies invest igat ed any possible associat ion
bet ween t he use of wireless phones and prim ary brain cancer, gliom a,
m eningiom a, or acoust ic neurom a, t um ors of t he brain or salivary gland,
leukem ia, or ot her cancers. None of t he st udies dem onst rat ed t he
exist ence of any harm ful healt h effect s from wireless phones RF
exposures. However, none of t he st udies can answer quest ions about
long- t erm exposures, since t he average period of phone use in t hese
st udies was around t hree years.
W h a t r e se a r ch is n e e de d t o de cide w h e t h e r RF e x posu r e fr om
w ir e le ss ph on e s pose s a h e a lt h r isk ?
A com binat ion of laborat ory st udies and epidem iological st udies of people
act ually using wireless phones would provide som e of t he dat a t hat are
needed. Lifet im e anim al exposure st udies could be com plet ed in a few
years. However, very large num bers of anim als would be needed t o
provide reliable proof of a cancer prom ot ing effect if one exist s.
Epidem iological st udies can provide dat a t hat is direct ly applicable t o
hum an populat ions, but t en or m ore years' follow- up m ay be needed t o
provide answers about som e healt h effect s, such as cancer. This is
because t he int erval bet ween t he t im e of exposure t o a cancer- causing
agent and t he t im e t um ors develop - if t hey do - m ay be m any, m any
years. The int erpret at ion of epidem iological st udies is ham pered by
difficult ies in m easuring act ual RF exposure during day- t o- day use of
wireless phones. Many fact ors affect t his m easurem ent , such as t he angle
at which t he phone is held, or which m odel of phone is used.
W h a t is FD A doin g t o fin d ou t m or e a bou t t h e possible h e a lt h
e ffe ct s of w ir e le ss ph on e RF?
FDA is working wit h t he U.S. Nat ional Toxicology Program and wit h
groups of invest igat ors around t he world t o ensure t hat high priorit y
anim al st udies are conduct ed t o address im port ant quest ions about t he
effect s of exposure t o radio frequency energy ( RF) .
FDA has been a leading part icipant in t he World Healt h Organizat ion
int ernat ional Elect rom agnet ic Fields ( EMF) Proj ect since it s incept ion in
1996. An influent ial result of t his work has been t he developm ent of a
det ailed agenda of research needs t hat has driven t he est ablishm ent of
new research program s around t he world. The Proj ect has also helped
develop a series of public inform at ion docum ent s on EMF issues.
FDA and Cellular Telecom m unicat ions & I nt ernet Associat ion ( CTI A) have
a form al Cooperat ive Research and Developm ent Agreem ent ( CRADA) t o
do research on wireless phone safet y. FDA provides t he scient ific
oversight , obt aining input from expert s in governm ent , indust ry, and
academ ic organizat ions. CTI A- funded research is conduct ed t hrough
cont ract s t o independent invest igat ors. The init ial research will include
bot h laborat ory st udies and st udies of wireless phone users. The CRADA
will also include a broad assessm ent of addit ional research needs in t he
cont ext of t he lat est research developm ent s around t he world.