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see the FCC's OET Bulletins 56 and 65 at
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_
Technology/Doc uments/bulletins or visit
the Cellular Telecommunications Industry
Association website at http://www.ctia.org/
consumer_info/index.cfm/AID/10371 . You
may also wish to contact the manufacturer
of your phone.
Can I minimize my RF exposure?
If you are concerned about RF, there
are several simple steps you can take to
minimize your RF exposure. You can, of
course, reduce your talk time. You can place
more distance between your body and the
source of the RF, as the exposure level drops
off dramatically with distance. The FDA/FCC
website states that "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. " Also, if you use your wireless phone
while in a car, you can use a phone with an
antenna on the outside of the vehicle. You
should also read and follow your wireless
phone manufacturer's instructions for the
safe operation of your phone.
Do wireless phones pose any
special risks to children?
The FDA/FCC website states that "the
scientific evidence does not show a danger
to users of wireless communication devices,
including children. " The FDA/FCC website
further states that "some groups sponsored
by other national governments have advised
that children be discouraged from using
wireless phones at all". For example, the
Stewart Report from the United Kingdom
["UK"] made such a recommendation in
December 2000. In this report a group of
independent experts noted that no evidence
exists that using a cell phone causes brain
tumors or other ill effects. [The UK's]
recommendation to limit cell phone use by
children was strictly precautionary; it was not
based on scientific evidence that any health
hazard exists. A copy of the UK's leaflet is
available at http://www.dh.gov.uk (search
"mobile"), or you can write to: NRPB, Chilton,
Didcot, Oxon OX11 ORQ, United Kingdom.
Copies of the UK's annual reports on mobile
phones and RF are available online at www.
iegmp.org.uk and http://www.hpa.org.uk/
radiation/ (search "mobile"). Parents who
wish to reduce their children's RF exposure
may choose to restrict their children's wireless
phone use.
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