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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.
What about wireless phone interference
with medical equipment?
Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless
phones can interact with some electronic
devices. For this reason, FDA helped develop a
detailed test method to measure
electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted
cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators from
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