Safety
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monitor developments in this field. You can access the joint FDA/FCC
website at http://www.fda.gov (under “c” in the subject index, 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 device
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/oet/rfsafety 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 devices in the United States. Before a wireless device 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 device transmitting at its highest power
level in all tested frequency bands. Since 1996, the FCC has required that
the SAR of handheld wireless device 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 device 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
device to the body while in use, and the use of hands-free devices. Before
a device model is available for sale to the public, it must be tested and
certified to the FCC that it does not exceed the limit established by the
government-adopted requirement for safe exposure. The tests are
performed in positions and locations (e.g., at the ear and worn on the body)
as required by the FCC for each model.
