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Appendix
phone causes brain tumors or other ill effects.
Their recommendation to limit wireless phone use
by children was strictly precautionary; it was not
based on scientific evidence that any health
hazard exists.
1. Do hands-free kits for wireless phones reduce
risks from exposure to RF emissions?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to
RF emissions from wireless phones, there is no
reason to believe that hands-free kits reduce
risks. 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.
2. 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
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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.
1. 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 wireless telephones. This test
method is now part of a standard sponsored by
the Association for the Advancement of Medical
instrumentation (AAMI). The final draft, a joint
effort by FDA, medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed in late 2000.
This standard will allow manufacturers to ensure
that cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe
from wireless phone EMI.
FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from
handheld wireless phones and helped develop a
voluntary standard sponsored by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). This
standard specifies test methods and performance
requirements for hearing aids and wireless phones
so that no interference occurs when a person uses
a compatible phone and a compatible hearing aid
at the same time. This standard was approved by
the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless
phones for possible interactions with other
medical devices. Should harmful interference be
Appendix
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