Cingular MUSTANG C810 User Manual page 120

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 FDA's role concerning the safety of wireless phones?
Under the law, 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, 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, FDA has urged the wireless phone
industry to take a number of steps, including the following:
•
Support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of the type emitted by wireless phones;
•
Design wireless phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user that is not necessary for
device function;
and
•
Cooperate in providing users of wireless phones with the best possible information on possible effects of
wireless phone use on human health.
FDA belongs to an interagency working group of the federal agencies that have responsibility for different
aspects of RF safety to ensure coordinated efforts at the federal level. The following agencies belong to this
working group:
•
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
•
Environmental Protection Agency
•
Federal Communications Commission
•
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
•
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Institutes of Health participates in some inter-agency working group activities, as well. FDA
shares regulatory responsibilities for wireless phones with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
All phones that are sold in the United States must comply with FCC safety guidelines that limit RF exposure.
FCC relies on FDA and other health agencies for safety questions about wireless phones. FCC also
regulates the base stations that the wireless phone networks rely upon. While these base stations operate at
higher power than do the wireless phones themselves, the RF exposures that people get from these base
stations are typically thousands of times lower than those they can get from wireless phones. Base stations
are thus not the subject of the safety questions discussed in this document.
3. What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?
The term "wireless phone" refers here to hand-held wireless phones with built-in antennas, often called "cell,"
"mobile," or "PCS" phones.
These types of wireless phones can expose the user to measurable radiofrequency energy (RF) because of
the short distance between the phone and the user's head. These RF exposures are limited by Federal
Communications Commission safety guidelines that were developed with the advice of FDA and other
federal health and safety agencies. When the phone is located at greater distances from the user, the
exposure to RF is drastically lower because a person's RF exposure decreases rapidly with increasing
distance from the source. The so-called "cordless phones," which have a base unit connected to the
telephone wiring in a house, typically operate at far lower power levels, and thus produce RF exposures far
below the FCC safety limits.
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