For Your Safety
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select Cell Phones > Research). You can also contact the FDA toll-free
at (888) 463-6332 or (888) INFO-FDA. In June 2000, the FDA entered
into a cooperative research and development agreement through which
additional scientific research is being conducted. The FCC issued its own
website publication stating that “there is no scientific evidence that
proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or a variety of other
problems, including headaches, dizziness or memory loss.” This publication
is available at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ cellular.html or through the FCC at
(888) 225-5322 or (888) CALL-FCC.
What does “SAR” mean?
In 1996, the FCC, working with the FDA, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and other agencies, established RF exposure safety
guidelines for wireless phones in the United States. Before a wireless
phone model is available for sale to the public, it must be tested by the
manufacturer and certified to the FCC that it does not exceed limits
established by the FCC. One of these limits is expressed as a Specific
Absorption Rate, or “SAR.” SAR is a measure of the rate of absorption
of RF energy in the body. Tests for SAR are conducted with the phone
transmitting at its highest power level in all tested frequency bands. Since
1996, the FCC has required that the SAR of handheld wireless phones
not exceed 1.6 watts per kilogram, averaged over one gram of tissue.
Although the SAR is determined at the highest power level, the actual
SAR value of a wireless phone while operating can be less than the
reported SAR value. This is because the SAR value may vary from call to
call, depending on factors such as proximity to a cell site, the proximity of
the phone to the body while in use, and the use of hands-free devices. For
more information about SARs, see the FCC’s OET Bulletins 56 and 65 at
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Documents/bulletins
or visit the Cellular Telecom munications Industry Association website at
http://www.ctia.org/consumer_info/index.cfm/AID/10371. You may also
wish to contact the manufacturer of your phone.
Can I minimize my RF exposure?
If you are concerned about RF, there are several simple steps you can take
to minimize your RF exposure. You can, of course, reduce your talk time.
