12
canalsocontacttheFDAtoll-freeat
(888)463-6332or(888)INFO-FDA.
InJune2000,theFDAentered
intoacooperativeresearchand
developmentagreementthrough
whichadditionalscienticresearch
isbeingconducted.TheFCCissued
itsownwebsitepublicationstating
that“thereisnoscienticevidence
thatprovesthatwirelessphoneusage
canleadtocanceroravarietyof
otherproblems,includingheadaches,
dizzinessormemoryloss.”This
publicationisavailableathttp://
www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafetyorthrough
theFCCat(888)225-5322or(888)
CALL-FCC.
What does “SAR” mean?
In1996,theFCC,workingwith
theFDA,theU.S.Environmental
ProtectionAgency,andother
agencies,establishedRFexposure
safetyguidelinesforwirelessphones
intheUnitedStates.Beforea
wirelessphonemodelisavailablefor
saletothepublic,itmustbetested
bythemanufacturerandcertied
totheFCCthatitdoesnotexceed
limitsestablishedbytheFCC.Oneof
theselimitsisexpressedasaSpecic
AbsorptionRate,or“SAR.”SARis
ameasureoftherateofabsorption
ofRFenergyinthebody.Testsfor
SARareconductedwiththephone
transmittingatitshighestpowerlevel
inalltestedfrequencybands.Since
1996,theFCChasrequiredthatthe
SARofhandheldwirelessphones
notexceed1.6wattsperkilogram,
averagedoveronegramoftissue.
AlthoughtheSARisdeterminedat
thehighestpowerlevel,theactual
SARvalueofawirelessphonewhile
operatingcanbelessthanthe
reportedSARvalue.Thisisbecause
theSARvaluemayvaryfromcallto
call,dependingonfactorssuchas
proximitytoacellsite,theproximity
ofthephonetothebodywhileinuse,
andtheuseofhands-freedevices.
Beforeaphonemodelisavailablefor
saletothepublic,itmustbetested
andcertiedtotheFCCthatitdoes
notexceedthelimitestablishedby
thegovernment-adoptedrequirement
forsafeexposure.Thetestsare
performedinpositionsandlocations
(e.g.,attheearandwornonthe
For Your Safety