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Health and safety information
What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to
radio frequency energy from my wireless phone?
If there is a risk from these products - and at this point
we do not know that there is - it is probably very small.
But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential
risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your
exposure to radio frequency energy (RF). Since time is
a key factor in how much exposure a person receives,
reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless
phone will reduce RF exposure.
• "If you must conduct extended conversations by
wireless phone every day, you could place more
distance between your body and the source of the RF,
since the exposure level drops off dramatically with
distance. For example, you could use a headset and
carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a
wireless phone connected to a remote antenna.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that
wireless phones are harmful. But if you are concerned
about the RF exposure from these products, you can
use measures like those described above to reduce your
RF exposure from wireless phone use.
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What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users
of wireless phones, including children and teenagers.
If you want to take steps to lower exposure to radio
frequency energy (RF), the measures described above
would apply to children and teenagers using wireless
phones. Reducing the time of wireless phone use and
increasing the distance between the user and the RF
source will reduce RF exposure.
Some groups sponsored by other national governments
have advised that children be discouraged from using
wireless phones at all. For example, the government in
the United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such
a recommendation in December 2000. They noted that
no evidence exists that using a wireless phone causes
brain tumors or other ill effects. Their recommendation
to limit wireless phone use by children was strictly
precautionary; it was not based on scientific evidence
that any health hazard exists.
Do hands-free kits for wireless phones reduce risks
from exposure to RF emissions?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason to
believe that hands-free kits reduce risks. Hands-free
kits can be used with wireless phones for convenience
and comfort. These systems reduce the absorption of
RF energy in the head because the phone, which is the
source of the RF emissions, will not be placed against the
head. On the other hand, if the phone is mounted against
the waist or other part of the body during use, then that
part of the body will absorb more RF energy. Wireless
phones marketed in the U.S. are required to meet safety
requirements regardless of whether they are used against
the head or against the body. Either configuration should
result in compliance with the safety limit.
Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield
the head from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason to
believe that accessories that claim to shield the head
from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that
claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special
phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a
metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have
shown that these products generally do not work as
advertised. Unlike "hand-free" kits, these so-called "shields"
may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The
phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate,
leading to an increase in RF absorption. In February
2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two
companies that sold devices that claimed to protect
wireless phone users from radiation with making false
and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these
defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate
their claim.
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