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Health and safety information
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 wireless telephones. This test method is now
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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 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 found to occur, FDA
will conduct testing to assess the interference and
work to resolve the problem.
Additional information on the safety of RF exposures
from various sources can be obtained from the
following organizations:
•
FCC RF Safety Program:
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/
•
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/
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