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FDA belongs to an interagency working group of the federal agencies that
have responsibility for different aspects of RF safety to ensure coordinated
efforts at the federal level. The following agencies belong to this working
group:
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Environmental Protection Agency Federal Communications Commission
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration
• The National Institutes of Health participates in some interagency working
group activities, as well.
FDA shares regulatory responsibilities for wireless phones with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). All phones that are sold in the United
States must comply with FCC safety guidelines that limit RF exposure. FCC
relies on FDA and other health agencies for safety questions about wireless
phones.
FCC also regulates the base stations that the wireless phone networks rely
upon. While these base stations operate at higher power than do the
wireless phones themselves, the RF exposures that people get from these
base stations are typically thousands of times lower than those they can get
from wireless phones. Base stations are thus not the primary subject of the
safety questions discussed in this document.
What is FDA doing to find out more about the possible health effects of
4.
wireless phone RF?
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
are conducted to address important questions about the effects of exposure
to radio frequency energy (RF).
FDA has been a leading participant in the World Health Organization
International Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Project since its inception in
1996. An influential result of this work has been the development of a
detailed agenda of research needs that has driven the establishment of new
research programs around the world. The Project has also helped develop a
series of public information documents on EMF issues.
FDA and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA)
have a formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
(CRADA) to do research on wireless phone safety. FDA provides the
scientific oversight, obtaining input from experts in government, industry,
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