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leading participant in the World Health Organization International
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Project since its inception in 1996. An
influential result of this work has been the development of a detailed
agenda of research needs that has driven the establishment of new
research programs around the world. The Project has also helped
develop a series of public information documents on EMF issues. FDA
and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA)
have a formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
(CRADA) to do research on wireless phone safety. FDA provides the
scientific oversight, obtaining input from experts in government,
industry, and academic organizations. CTIA-funded research is
conducted through contracts to independent investigators. The initial
research will include both laboratory studies and studies of wireless
phone users. The CRADA will also include a broad assessment of
additional research needs in the context of the latest research
developments around the world.
7.
How can I find out how much radiofrequency energy
exposure I can get by using my wireless phone?
All phones sold in the United States must comply with Federal
Communications
Commission
radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures. FCC established these
guidelines in consultation with FDA and the other federal health and
safety agencies. The FCC limit for RF exposure from wireless
telephones is set at a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts per
kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC limit is consistent with the safety
standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
104
(FCC)
guidelines
that
limit
Engineering (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection
and Measurement. The exposure limit takes into consideration the
body's ability to remove heat from the tissues that absorb energy from
the wireless phone and is set well below levels known to have effects.
Manufacturers of wireless phones must report the RF exposure level
for each model of phone to the FCC. The FCC website
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety) gives directions for locating the FCC
identification number on your phone so you can find your phone's RF
exposure level in the online listing
8.
What has FDA done to measure the radiofrequency
energy coming from wireless phones ?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a
technical standard for measuring the radiofrequency energy (RF) exposure
from wireless phones and other wireless handsets with the participation
and leadership of FDA scientists and engineers. The standard,
"Recommended Practice for Determining the Spatial-Peak Specific
Absorption
Rate
(SAR)
in
Communications Devices: Experimental Techniques," sets forth the first
consistent test methodology for measuring the rate at which RF is
deposited in the heads of wireless phone users. The test method uses a
tissue-simulating model of the human head. Standardized SAR test
methodology is expected to greatly improve the consistency of
measurements made at different laboratories on the same phone. SAR is
the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed in tissue, either by the
whole body or a small part of the body. It is measured in watts/kg (or
milliwatts/g) of matter. This measurement is used to determine whether a
the
Human
Body
Due
to
Wireless
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