Just the Facts!

CTIA will require wireless phone makers to publish the data, known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), for all phones beginning Aug. 1, 2000
“The SAR isn’t appropriate as a safety measure,” Dr. George Carlo said. Carlo, who headed the independent Radiation Protection Project because SAR doesn’t measure time used.
Microwave radiation absorption occurs at the molecular, cellular, tissue and whole-body levels. The dominant factor for net energy absorption by an entire organism is related to the dielectric properties of bulk water, which ultimately causes transduction of electromagnetic energy into heat."Cooking"
Digital cellular telephones transmit information in bursts of power. The power is turned on and off, and the equipment transmits for a fraction of the time only and then is silent for the remaining part of the burst period.

In one study, mice genetically altered to be predisposed to developing one type of cancer developed more than twice (200%) as many such cancers when they were exposed to RF energy compared to controls.

A report prepared by the United Kingdom government's Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) was released on May 11, 2000. It stated "We conclude therefore that it is not possible at present to say that exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, is totally without potential adverse health effects, and that the gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach." The report presented numerous conclusions and recommendations, such as discouraging the marketing of mobile phones to children and their use of them, an investigation into the health risks associated with the use of hands free headsets, radiation exposure levels (expressed in SAR's) should appear on wireless product product packages and literature, the circulation of pamphlets by the government to every household advising the possible health risks and new tower approval guidelines. Click here for a summary of the report and its recommendations.

Genetic toxicology studies should focus on single cell gel studies of DNA strand breakage and on induction of micronuclei. (These are the only direct genetoxic effects suggested at this time.) The need to replicate the Lai and Singh experiments used to demonstrate microwave-induced DNA strand breakage (Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 69:513-521, 1996) is strengthened by Dr. Lai's recent reports in scientific meetings that this effort is suppressed by melatonin exposure.

In a letter submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives in May 1997, the FDA acknowledged that "Little is known about the possible health effects of repeated or long-term exposure to low levels of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) of the types emitted by wireless communications devices" During February, 2000, the FDA issued a Nomination reiterating their position, stating "There is currently insufficient scientific basis for concluding either that wireless communication technologies are safe or that they pose a risk to millions of users. A significant research effort, involving large well-planned animal experiments is needed to provide the basis to assess the risk to human health of wireless communications devices."

Here is what the EPA says about radiation exposure:
"Depending on the level of exposure, radiation can pose a health risk. It can adversely affect individuals directly exposed as well as their descendants. Radiation can affect cells of the body, increasing the risk of cancer or harmful genetic mutations that can be passed on to future generations; or, if the dosage is large enough to cause massive tissue damage, it may lead to death within a few weeks of exposure."Source: EPA 402-F-98-009 May 1998

The Chairman of WTR, a wireless industry funded organization, asks the Chairman of AT&T for assistance to inform consumers about the potential health risks associated with the use of cellular phones.

Bluetooth Specification
The Bluetooth wireless technology standard is a specification for small form factor, low-cost, wireless communication and networking between PCs, mobile phones and other electronic products. It has been adapted for use by more than 1,400 companies.
The maximum frequency for wireless products compliant with the Bluetooth specification is 2.497 GHz. AegisGuard™ Phone Radiation Shields include the only shielding technology currently available that deflects radiation emitted by Bluetooth compliant products.

Wireless Industry Wants To Raise Radiation Exposure Limits
Television news shows broadcast in the United States and Western Europe during the last half of 1999 combined with additional worldwide news coverage has resulted in increased public awareness about the health risks associated with radiation emitted by mobile phones. Government agencies in the United States, such as the FCC, FDA and US Congress, and agencies in other nations, responded with a series of long-term initiatives.
During the summer of 1999, Dr. Om Gandhi reported that many mobile phones exceed current radiation exposure limits in the ear. The current limits are being debated worldwide because highly respected scientists believe they are already too high.

Despite Dr. Om's report and numerous studies presenting irrefutable evidence about the health risks, wireless industry representatives attending an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) meeting during October, 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia, proposed to the IEEE's SCC-28 (Standards Coordinating Committee 28), Subcommittee 4 (SC-4) that the current limits be raised. IEEE's SCC-28 encompasses emission standards from 3 KHz. to 300 GHz.

Representatives from Motorola and Nokia "proposed that for the general public, the outer ear should be considered an extremity, similar to the hands, feet, wrists and ankles, and not a vital organ." The exposure limits for these extremities are higher than the rest of the body, and they continued with "thus it is not necessary to protect the outer ear against RF exposure at the same level as the brain. If the limit for the ear is raised, maximum power of phones will not be limited unnecessarily."

It was reported after the meeting that the members of SC-4 unanimously supported this proposal.

Patent Applications
Phone manufacturers including Alcatel, Ericsson, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and NEC applied for patents as early as 1992 that included component designs to lower radiation health risks using various techniques. For example, one patent application describes a warning device that signals the user when the maximum permitted output power is being approached so they can stop using the phone.


U.S. Senate Bill S.800
The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives passed Bill S.800 on August 5, 1999 and October 14, 1999, respectively, to establish '911' as the national emergency telephone number.
Entitled the `Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999', it grants phone carriers and vendors (phone manufacturers and dealers) the same immunity as wireline carriers for any liability associated with the use of their products and services.

Click here and read the third paragraph of the Bill S.800 Summary. Then click 'Continue to Section 4" at the end of the paragraph for the Section in Bill S.800 where vendors are included as "providers of wireless service" and immunity was granted to them by the removal of "911" in the Section heading.

FDA
U.S. phone safety standards are endorsed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who admit they "are primarily a regulatory agency and not an expert on matters pertaining to health and safety."
The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) division of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for establishing safety standards and ensuring compliance for radiation emitting products sold in the U.S. that may endanger public health, yet they were merely an advisor instead of an authority in any capacity for cellular phones until October 20, 1999.

On that date, a U.S. nationwide news broadcast exposed information about cellular phone radiation that resulted in immediate responses from the FCC, FDA and the cellular industry (CTIA). Despite accusations that the health effects of cellular phone radiation are being withheld from consumers by the cellular industry and the government, the FDA proposed a collaborative project with CTIA to investigate this issue.