All phones sold in the United States must comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC)guidelines that limit radio frequency energy (RF) exposures. FCC established these guidelines inconsultation with FDA and the other federal health and safety agencies. The FCC limit for RF exposurefrom wireless telephones is set at a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC limit is consistent with the safety standards developed by the Institute of Electrical andElectronic Engineering (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement.The exposure limit takes into consideration the body’s ability to remove heat from the tissues thatabsorb energy from the wireless phone and is set well below levels known to have effects.Manufacturers of wireless phones must report the RF exposure level for each model of phone to theFCC. The FCC website (http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety) gives directions for locating the FCCidentification number on your phone so you can find your phone’s RF exposure level in the onlinelisting.8. What has FDA done to measure the radio frequency energy coming fromwireless phones?The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a technical standard formeasuring the radio frequency energy (RF) exposure from wireless phones and other wireless handsetswith the participation and leadership of FDA scientists and engineers. The standard, RecommendedPractice for Determining the Spatial-Peak Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in the Human Body Due toWireless Communications Devices: Experimental Techniques, sets forth the first consistent testmethodology for measuring the rate at which RF is deposited in the heads of wireless phone users. Thetest method uses a tissue-simulating model of the human head. Standardized SAR test methodology isexpected to greatly improve the consistency of measurements made at different laboratories on thesame phone. SAR is the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed in tissue, either by the whole
