H820 TITAN Owner’s Manual AT&TUSA en

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For Your Safety 164

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 ten 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 are

conducted to address important questions about the effects of exposure to Radio

Frequency (RF) energy.

The FDA has been a leading participant in the World Health Organization

InternationalElectroMagnetic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.TheFDAandtheCellularTelecommunications&

InternetAssociation(CTIA)haveaformalCooperativeResearchAndDevelopment

Agreement(CRADA)todoresearchonwirelessphonesafety.TheFDAprovides

the scientific oversight, obtaining input from experts in government, industry, and

academicorganizations.CTIA-fundedresearchisconductedthroughcontracts

with independent investigators. The initial research will include both laboratory

studiesandstudiesofwirelessphoneusers.TheCRADAwillalsoincludeabroad

assessment of additional research needs in the context of the latest research

developments around the world.

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Owner’s Manual AT&TUSA en - Page 165