MS345 User Manual

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109

Safety

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RadioFrequency(RF)energy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cancercausingchemicalssoastobepre-disposed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donot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long-term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

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User Manual - Page 111