Nextel i90c User Guide
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The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration's Center for
Devices and Radiological Health
Consumer Update on Mobile
Phones
Administration's Center for
Devices and Radiological Health
Consumer Update on Mobile
Phones
FDA has been receiving inquiries about the safety of mobile phones, including
cellular phones and PCS phones. The following summarizes what is known--
and what remains unknown--about whether these products can pose a hazard to
health, and what can be done to minimize any potential risk. This information
may be used to respond to questions.
cellular phones and PCS phones. The following summarizes what is known--
and what remains unknown--about whether these products can pose a hazard to
health, and what can be done to minimize any potential risk. This information
may be used to respond to questions.
Why the concern?
Mobile phones emit low levels of radiofrequency energy (i.e., radiofrequency
radiation) in the microwave range while being used. They also emit very low
levels of radiofrequency energy (RF), considered non-significant, when in the
stand-by mode. It is well known that high levels of RF can produce biological
damage through heating effects (this is how your microwave oven is able to
cook food). However, it is not known whether, to what extent, or through what
mechanism, lower levels of RF might cause adverse health effects as well.
Although some research has been done to address these questions, no clear
picture of the biological effects of this type of radiation has emerged to date.
Thus, the available science does not allow us to conclude that mobile phones are
absolutely safe, or that they are unsafe. However, the available scientific
evidence does not demonstrate any adverse health effects associated with the
use of mobile phones.
radiation) in the microwave range while being used. They also emit very low
levels of radiofrequency energy (RF), considered non-significant, when in the
stand-by mode. It is well known that high levels of RF can produce biological
damage through heating effects (this is how your microwave oven is able to
cook food). However, it is not known whether, to what extent, or through what
mechanism, lower levels of RF might cause adverse health effects as well.
Although some research has been done to address these questions, no clear
picture of the biological effects of this type of radiation has emerged to date.
Thus, the available science does not allow us to conclude that mobile phones are
absolutely safe, or that they are unsafe. However, the available scientific
evidence does not demonstrate any adverse health effects associated with the
use of mobile phones.
What kinds of phones are in question?
Questions have been raised about hand-held mobile phones, the kind that have a
built-in antenna that is positioned close to the user's head during normal
telephone conversation. These types of mobile phones are of concern because of
the short distance between the phone's antenna--the primary source of the RF--
and the person's head. The exposure to RF from mobile phones in which the
antenna is located at greater distances from the user (on the outside of a car, for
example) is drastically lower than that from hand-held phones, because a
person's RF exposure decreases rapidly with distance from the source. The
safety of so-called "cordless phones," which have a base unit connected to the
telephone wiring in a house and which operate at far lower power levels and
frequencies, has not been questioned.
built-in antenna that is positioned close to the user's head during normal
telephone conversation. These types of mobile phones are of concern because of
the short distance between the phone's antenna--the primary source of the RF--
and the person's head. The exposure to RF from mobile phones in which the
antenna is located at greater distances from the user (on the outside of a car, for
example) is drastically lower than that from hand-held phones, because a
person's RF exposure decreases rapidly with distance from the source. The
safety of so-called "cordless phones," which have a base unit connected to the
telephone wiring in a house and which operate at far lower power levels and
frequencies, has not been questioned.