The scientific evidence indicates radio frequency (RF) exposures that are at or below current U.S. safety limits do not cause health problems. There is no established health benefit from reducing an individual’s RF exposure from cell phones. Nevertheless, some people still have concerns about RF energy, and there are some simple actions that could help reduce an individual’s RF energy exposure from cell phones.
Generally, wireless products emit the most RF energy when you are using them to talk to someone. The closer the device is to you, the more energy you will absorb.
Steps to Reduce Radio Frequency (RF) Exposure
- Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone.
- Use speaker mode, head phones, or ear buds to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.
- Avoid making calls when the signal is weak as this causes cell phones to boost RF transmission power.
- Consider texting rather than talking - but don’t text while you are driving.
Claims About Cell Phone Accessories
Manufacturers of certain cell phone accessories may claim that an accessory shields the user from emissions or prevents health problems caused by radio frequency radiation. The FDA does not regulate such products and, given the weight of scientific evidence to show that cell phones are safe for use, the Agency considers these claims to be bogus.
Claims to shield the phone’s user from RF radiation: Some products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these products generally do not work as advertised and may interfere with proper operation of the phone.
Claims to "prevent adverse health effects caused by RF radiation:" The manufacturers of these products claim their products have astonishing effects. Claims of protective effects cannot be proven because radio frequency energy from cell phones does not cause health problems. Claims about disease prevention may make the item an illegally marketed medical device. There are no direct protective effects from the use of these products. At best, they are harmless, and, at worst, they might prevent your phone from finding signal when you most need to make a call for your safety.
Examples of specific unprovable and misleading cellphone accessory claims include:
- "[the product’s] frequencies create fields that counter the cell phone radiation’s effect on the body."
- "Circuits mirror the structure of the earth’s electromagnetic field and amplify your resonance with the Earth.";
- "Shield yourself from harmful frequencies [… with an] inductor coil, which suppresses these frequencies."
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