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time of wireless phone use and increasing the
distance between the user and the RF source will
reduce RF exposure.
Some groups sponsored by other national
governments have advised that children be
discouraged from using wireless phones at all. For
example, the government in the United Kingdom
distributed leaflets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000. They noted
that no evidence exists that using a wireless phone
causes brain tumors or other ill effects. Their
recommendation to limit wireless phone use by
children was strictly precautionary; it was not based
on scientific evidence that any health hazard exists.
7. Do hands-free kits for wireless phones reduce
risks from exposure to RF emissions?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason
to believe that hands-free kits reduce risks. Hands-
free kits can be used with wireless phones for
convenience and comfort. These systems reduce
the absorption of RF energy in the head because
the phone, which is the source of the RF emissions,
will not be placed against the head. On the other
hand, if the phone is mounted against the waist or
other part of the body during use, then that part of
the body will absorb more RF energy. Wireless
phones marketed in the U.S. are required to meet
safety requirements regardless of whether they are
used against the head or against the body. Either
configuration should result in compliance with the
safety limit.
8. Do wireless phone accessories that claim to
shield the head from RF radiation work?
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Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason
to believe that accessories that claim to shield the
head from those emissions reduce risks. Some
products that claim to shield the user from RF
absorption use special phone cases, while others
involve nothing more than a metallic accessory
attached to the phone. Studies have shown that
these products generally do not work as advertised.
Unlike “hand-free” kits, these so-called “shields”
may interfere with proper operation of the phone.
The phone may be forced to boost its power to
compensate, leading to an increase in RF
absorption. In February 2002, the Federal trade
Commission (FTC) charged two companies that sold
devices that claimed to protect wireless phone
users from radiation with making false and
unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these
defendants lacked a reasonable basis to
substantiate their claim.
9. What about wireless phone interference with
medical equipment?
Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones
can interact with some electronic devices. For this
reason, FDA helped develop a detailed test method
to measure electromagnetic interference (EMI) of
implanted cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators
from wireless telephones. This test method is now
part of a standard sponsored by the Association for
the Advancement of Medical instrumentation
(AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA,
medical device manufacturers, and many other
groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard
will allow manufacturers to ensure that cardiac
pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from wireless
phone EMI.
