Health and Safety Information 126Section 13: Health and Safety InformationThis section outlines the safety precautions associated with usingyour phone. The terms “mobile device” or “cell phone” are usedin this section to refer to your phone. Read this information beforeusing your mobile device.Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) SignalsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has publishedinformation for consumers relating to Radio Frequency (RF)exposure from wireless phones. The FDA publication includes thefollowing information:Do cell phones pose a health hazard?Many people are concerned that cell phone radiation will causecancer or other serious health hazards. The weight of scientificevidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems.Cell phones emit low levels of Radio Frequency (RF) energy. Overthe past 15 years, scientists have conducted hundreds of studieslooking at the biological effects of the radio frequency energyemitted by cell phones. While some researchers have reportedbiological changes associated with RF energy, these studies havefailed to be replicated. The majority of studies published havefailed to show an association between exposure to radiofrequency from a cell phone and health problems.The low levels of RF cell phones emit while in use are in themicrowave frequency range. They also emit RF at substantiallyreduced time intervals when in the stand-by mode. Whereas highlevels of RF can produce health effects (by heating tissue),exposure to low level RF that does not produce heating effectscauses no known adverse health effects.The biological effects of radio frequency energy should not beconfused with the effects from other types of electromagneticenergy.Very high levels of electromagnetic energy, such as is found inX-rays and gamma rays, can ionize biological tissues. Ionizationis a process where electrons are stripped away from their normallocations in atoms and molecules. It can permanently damagebiological tissues including DNA, the genetic material.The energy levels associated with radio frequency energy,including both radio waves and microwaves, are not greatenough to cause ionization of atoms and molecules. Therefore,RF energy is a type of non-ionizing radiation. Other types ofnon-ionizing radiation include visible light, infrared radiation(heat), and other forms of electromagnetic radiation withrelatively low frequencies.