Ericsson R300D User Manual page 15

The current case-control study of brain cancers by the National
Cancer Institute, as well as the follow-up research to be sponsored by
industry, will begin to generate this type of information.
What is FDA's role concerning the safety of mobile
phones?
Under the law, FDA does not review the safety of radiation-emitting
consumer products such as mobile phones before marketing, as it
does with new drugs or medical devices. However, the agency has
authority to take action if mobile phones are shown to emit radiation
at a level that is hazardous to the user. In such a case, FDA could
require the manufacturers of mobile phones to notify users of the
health hazard and to repair, replace or recall the phones so that the
hazard no longer exists.
Although the existing scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory
actions at this time, FDA has urged the mobile phone industry to
take a number of steps to assure public safety. The agency has
recommended that the industry:
support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of
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the type emitted by mobile phones;
design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to
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the user that is not necessary for device function; and
cooperate in providing mobile phone users with the best
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possible information on what is known about possible effects of
mobile phone use on human health.
At the same time, FDA belongs to an interagency working group of
the federal agencies that have responsibility for different aspects of
mobile phone safety to ensure a coordinated effort at the federal
level. These agencies are:
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National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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Environmental Protection Agency
‡
Federal Communications Commission
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Occupational Health and Safety Administration
‡
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
‡
The National Institutes of Health also participates in this group.
In the absence of conclusive information about any
possible risk, what can concerned individuals do?
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 people are
concerned about avoiding even potential risks, there are simple steps
they can take to do so. For example, time is a key factor in how
much exposure a person receives. Those persons who spend long
periods of time on their hand-held mobile phones could consider
holding lengthy conversations on conventional phones and reserving
the hand-held models for shorter conversations or for situations
when other types of phones are not available.
People who must conduct extended conversations in their cars every
day could switch to a type of mobile phone that places more distance
between their bodies and the source of the RF, since the exposure
level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, they could
switch to:
a mobile phone in which the antenna is located outside the
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vehicle,
a hand-held phone with a built-in antenna connected to
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a different antenna mounted on the outside of the car or built
into a separate package, or
Guidelines for Safe and Efficient Use