Verizon Ellipsis 7 Manual page 19

Consumer
Information
About Radio
Frequency
Emissions &
Responsible
Driving
Consumer Information
Are Wireless Phones and Devices Safe?
Scientific research on the subject of wireless
devices and radio frequency ("RF") energy has
been conducted worldwide for many years, and
continues. In the United States, the Food and
Drug Administration ("FDA") and the Federal
Communications Commission ("FCC") set policies and
procedures for wireless devices. The FDA issued a
website publication on health issues related to cell
phone usage where it states that, while research is
ongoing, "available scientific evidence—including
World Health Organization ["WHO"] findings [in the
Interphone study] released May 17, 2010—shows
no increased health risk due to radiofrequency (RF)
energy, a form of electromagnetic radiation that
is emitted by cell phones." The FDA also cites a
separate National Cancer Institute program finding
that, despite the dramatic increase in cell phone
use, occurrences of brain cancer did not increase
between 1987 and 2005. You can access the FDA
website at http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/
ConsumerUpdates/ucm212273.htm. You can also
contact the FDA toll-free at (888) 463-6332 or (888)
INFO-FDA. The FCC has its own website publication
stating that "[t]here is no scientific evidence that
proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer
or other problems, including headaches, dizziness
or memory loss." This publication is available at
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cellular.html or through
the FCC at (888) 225-5322 or (888) CALL-FCC.
The National Cancer Institute ("NCI") states that
concerns about the potential health effects
of using cellular phones—"and specifically the
suggestion that using a cell phone may increase a
person's risk of developing brain cancer —are not
supported by a growing body of research on the
subject." You can access NCI's review of the research
at http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/
NCI_Cancer_Bulletin_092308/page7. The WHO's
Interphone study is the largest study of cell phone
use and brain tumors ever undertaken. WHO
summarized its conclusions concerning Interphone
as follows: "Overall, no increase in risk of glioma or
meningioma was observed with use of mobile phones.
There were suggestions of an increased risk of
glioma at the highest exposure levels, but biases and
error prevent a causal interpre tation. The possible
effects of long-term heavy use of mobile phones
require further investigation." The WHO's comments
on Interphone are available at: http://www.iarc.
fr/en/media-centre/pr/2010/pdfs/pr200_E.pdf.
WHO's publication of Interphone is available at
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/3/675.
abstract; see also, Interphone Appendix
(http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/suppl/2010/05/06/
dyq079.DC1/Interphone_Appendix2.pdf).
What Does Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Mean?
In 1996, the FCC, working with the FDA, the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) and other agencies,
established RF exposure safety guidelines for wireless
devices in the United States. Before a wireless device
model is available for sale to the public, it must be tested by
the manufacturer and certified to the FCC that it does not
exceed limits established by the FCC.
One of these limits is expressed as a Specific Absorption
Rate, or "SAR." SAR is a measure of the rate of absorption of
RF energy in the body. Tests for SAR are conducted with the
wireless device transmitting at its highest power level in all
tested frequency bands. Since 1996, the FCC has required
that the SAR of handheld wireless devices not exceed 1.6
watts per kilogram, averaged over one gram of tissue.
Although the SAR is determined at the highest power level,
the actual SAR value of a wireless device while operating
can be less than the reported SAR value. This is because the
SAR value may vary from call to call, depending on factors
such as proximity to a cell site, the proximity of the wireless
device to the body while in use, and the use of hands-free
devices.
For more information about SARs, see the FCC's
OET Bulletins 56 (http://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/
Engineering_Technology/Documents/bulletins/oet56/
oet56e4.pdf) and 65 (http://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/
Engineering_Technology/Documents/bulletins/oet65/
oet65.pdf). You may also wish to contact the manufacturer
of your wireless device.