LG G4 -H812 Quick Start Manual page 13

phones. Base stations are thus not the subject of the safety questions discussed
in this document.
3. What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?
The term 'wireless phone' refers here to handheld wireless phones with builtin
antennas, often called 'cell' , 'mobile' , or 'PCS' phones. These types of wireless
phones can expose the user to measurable radiofrequency energy (RF)
because of the short distance between the phone and the user's head. These
RF exposures are limited by FCC safety guidelines that were developed with
the advice of the FDA and other federal health and safety agencies. When
the phone is located at greater distances from the user, the exposure to RF
is drastically lower because a person's RF exposure decreases rapidly with
increasing distance from the source. The so-called 'cordless phones, ' which
have a base unit connected to the telephone wiring in a house, typically operate
at far lower power levels, and thus produce RF exposures far below the FCC
safety limits.
4. What are the results of the research done already?
The research done thus far has produced conflicting results, and many studies
have suffered from flaws in their research methods. Animal experiments
investigating the effects of radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures characteristic
of wireless phones have yielded conflicting results that often cannot be repeated
in other laboratories. A few animal studies, however, have suggested that low
levels of RF could accelerate the development of cancer in laboratory animals.
However, many of the studies that showed increased tumor development used
animals that had been genetically engineered or treated with cancer causing
chemicals so as to be predisposed to develop cancer in the absence of RF
exposure. Other studies exposed the animals to RF for up to 22 hours per
day. These conditions are not similar to the conditions under which people use
wireless phones, so we don't know with certainty what the results of such studies
mean for human health. Three large epidemiology studies have been published
since December 2000. Between them, the studies investigated any possible
association between the use of wireless phones and primary brain cancer,
glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma, tumors of the brain or salivary gland,
leukemia, or other cancers. None of the studies demonstrated the existence of
any harmful health effects from wireless phone RF exposures.
However, none of the studies can answer questions about longterm exposures,
since the average period of phone use in these studies was around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure from wireless
phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological studies of people
actually using wireless phones would provide some of the data that are needed.
Lifetime animal exposure studies could be completed in a few years. However,
very large numbers of animals would be needed to provide reliable proof of a
cancer promoting effect if one exists. Epidemiological studies can provide data
that is directly applicable to human populations, but 10 or more years follow-up
may be needed to provide answers about some health effects, such as cancer.
This is because the interval between the time of exposure to a cancer-causing
agent and the time tumors develop - if they do may be many, many years.
The interpretation of epidemiological studies is hampered by difficulties in
measuring actual RF exposure during day-to-day use of wireless phones. Many
factors affect this measurement, such as the angle at which the phone is held,
or which model of phone is used.
6. What is the FDA doing to find out more about the possible health effects of
wireless phone RF?
The FDA is working with the U.S. National Toxicology Program and with groups
of investigators around the world to ensure that high priority animal studies
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