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For Your Safety 121
7. How can I find out how much Radio Frequency energy
exposure I can get by using my wireless phone?
All phones sold in the United States must comply with Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines that limit Radio Frequency
(RF) energy exposures. The FCC established these guidelines in consultation
with the FDA and the other federal health and safety agencies. The FCC limit
for RF exposure from wireless phones is set at a Specific Absorption Rate
(SAR) of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC limit is consistent with
the safety standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and
Measurement. The exposure limit takes into consideration the body’s ability
to remove heat from the tissues that absorb energy from the wireless phone
and is set well below levels known to have effects. Manufacturers of wireless
phones must report the RF exposure level for each model of phone to the
FCC. The FCC website (
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety
) gives directions for
locating the FCC identification number on your phone so you can find your
phone’s RF exposure level in the online listing.
8. What has the FDA done to measure the Radio Frequency
energy coming from wireless phones?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a
technical standard for measuring the Radio Frequency (RF) energy exposure
from wireless phones and other wireless handsets with the participation and
leadership of FDA scientists and engineers. The standard, “Recommended
Practice for Determining the Spatial-Peak Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in
the Human Body Due to Wireless Communications Devices: Experimental
Techniques”, sets forth the first consistent test methodology for measuring
the rate at which RF is deposited in the heads of wireless phone users. The
test method uses a tissue-simulating model of the human head.
Standardized SAR test methodology is expected to greatly improve the
consistency of measurements made at different laboratories on the same
phone. SAR is the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed in tissue,
either by the whole body or a small part of the body. It is measured in
watts/kg (or milliwatts/g) of matter. This measurement is used to determine
whether a wireless phone complies with safety guidelines.
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