What federal agencies handle potential RF health effects?

Certain agencies in the Federal Government have been involved in monitoring, researching or regulating issues related to human exposure to RF radiation.  These agencies include The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Defense (DOD).

Are cell phones safe?

There is no proof that wireless phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones emit low levels of radiofrequency energy (RF) in the microwave range while being used. They also emit very low levels of RF when in the stand-by mode. Whereas high levels of RF can produce health effects (by heating tissue), exposure to low level RF that does not produce heating effects causes no known adverse health effects. Many studies of low level RF exposures have not found any biological effects. Some studies have suggested that some biological effects may occur, but such findings have not been confirmed by additional research. In some cases, other researchers have had difficulty in reproducing those studies, or in determining the reasons for inconsistent results.  The FDA, which has primary jurisdiction for investigating mobile phone safety, has stated that it cannot rule out the possibility of risk.  According to a recent publication in “Environmental Health Perspectives” researchers have documented damage to nerve cells in the brains of rats they exposed to the type of radiation cell phone users get when calling their friends or family.  The damaging mechanism seems to be a weakening of the blood-brain barrier, a kind of filter which protects the brain from toxic or otherwise unwanted chemicals circulated with the blood.  As the brain is more sensitive than other body tissue, the barrier filters and bars entrance to what should not be in the brain.  Calling on your mobile may put that vital barrier out of commission, so any damaging substance present in the blood which is normally kept out can now imperil the brain’s functions. 

fcc.gov – Radio Frequency Safety

mewmediaexplorer.org – Bad News for Cell Phone Users

Does the FCC routinely monitor radiofrequency radiation?

The FCC does not have the resources or the personnel to routinely monitor the emissions for all of the thousands of transmitters that are subject to FCC jurisdiction.  However, the FCC does have measurement instrumentation for evaluating RF levels in areas that may be accessible to the public or to workers.  If there is evidence of potential non-compliance with FCC exposure guidelines for an FCC-regulated facility, staff from the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology or the Enforcement Bureau can conduct an investigation, and, if appropriate, perform actual measurements.  It should be emphasized that the FCC does not perform RF exposure investigations unless there is a reasonable expectation that the FCC exposure limits may be exceeded.

fcc.gov – Radio Frequency Safety

FCC guidelines for RF Exposure

The FCC authorizes and licenses devices, transmitters and facilities that generate RF and microwave radiation. It has jurisdiction over all transmitting services in the U.S. except those specifically operated by the Federal Government. However, the FCC’s primary jurisdiction does not lie in the health and safety area, and it must rely on other agencies and organizations for guidance in these matters. Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the FCC has certain responsibilities to consider whether its actions will “significantly affect the quality of the human environment.” Therefore, FCC approval and licensing of transmitters and facilities must be evaluated for significant impact on the environment. Human exposure to RF radiation emitted by FCC-regulated transmitters is one of several factors that must be considered in such environmental evaluations.

fcc.gov – FCC Office of Engineering & Technology

Do Hands Free kits reduce the RF Exposure?

“Hands-free” kits with ear pieces can be used with cell phones for convenience and comfort.  In addition, because the phone, which is the source of the RF emissions, will not be placed against the head, absorption of RF energy in the head will be reduced.  Therefore, it is true that use of an ear piece connected to a mobile phone will significantly reduce the rate of energy absorption (SAR) in the user’s head.  On the other hand, if the phone is mounted against the waist or other part of the body during use, then that part of the body will absorb RF energy.

fcc.gov – Radio Frequency Safety

How is radiofrequency radiation measured?

A radiofrequency wave has both an electric field and magnetic field.  The unit V/m (volts per meter) is used to express the strength of the electric field and the unit A/m (amperes per meter) is used to express the strength of the magnetic field.  Another term used is power density.  Power density is defined as power per unit area.  Power density is commonly expressed in terms of W/m2 (watts per square meter), mW/cm2 (milliwatts per square centimeter), or µW/cm2 (microwatts per square centimeter).  One mW/cm2 equals 10 W/m2, and 100 µW/cm2 equal one W/m2. Power density is usually used to express intensity of exposure.  The quantity used to measure the rate at which RF energy is actually absorbed in a body is called the “Specific Absorption Rate” or “SAR.”  It is usually expressed in units of W/kg (watts per kilogram) or mW/g (milliwatts per gram).

 

fcc.gov – Radio Frequency Safety

What is Radiofrequency energy?

Radiofrequency (RF) energy (radio waves) is one form of electromagnetic energy that makes up the electromagnetic spectrum.  Radiofrequency energy (electromagnetic radiation) consists of waves of electric and magnetic energy radiating through space in what is called an electromagnetic field.   Radio waves are divided up into bands by frequency and wavelength and are created due to the movement of electrical charges in antennas.  As they are created, these waves radiate away from the antenna at the speed of light.  The major differences between the different types of waves are the distances covered by one cycle of the wave and the number of waves that pass a certain point during a set time period.  The wavelength is the distance covered by one cycle of a wave.  The frequency is the number of waves passing a given point in one second.  The most commonly used frequency bands for the transmission of television signals are UHF and VHF.  Cell phones also transmit and recieve within the UHF spectrum.  For any electromagnetic wave, the wavelength multiplied by the frequency equals the speed of light.  Cell phones and microwaves fall into the Ultra high frequency (UHF) range which includes waves with frequencies ranging from between 300 MHz and 3 GHz. One Hz equals one wave per second, one kHz equals one thousand waves per second, one MHz equals one million waves per second and one GHz equals one billion waves per second.  The following all use radiofrequency energy:  police department radios, fire department radios, wireless phones, pagers, cordless phones, radio broadcasting, TV broadcasting, satellite communications, microwave ovens, radar, medical treatments (x-rays), tracking cars and airplanes.  “A cellular telephone’s main source of RF energy is produced through its antenna. The antenna of a hand-held cellular telephone is in the handset, which is typically held against the side of the head when the telephone is in use. The closer the antenna is to the head, the greater a person’s expected exposure is to RF energy. The amount of RF energy absorbed by a person decreases significantly with increasing distance between the antenna and the user.”   “Microwave radiation (MW) is absorbed near the skin, while Radiofrequency (RF) radiation may be absorbed throughout the body. At high enough intensities both will damage tissue through heating. Sources of RF and MW radiation include radio emitters and cell phones.”

en.wikipedia.org - Radio Waves

en.wikipedia.org – Ultra High Frequency

cancer.gov – Cellular Telephone Use and Cancer Risk

osha.gov – Non-Ionizing Radiation

Health effects caused by radiofrequency energy?

“Electric and magnetic fields are complex physical agents whose potential health effects are the subject of much research. Particularly controversial are the biophysical mechanisms by which these RF fields may affect biological systems. General health effects reviews explore possible carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects.  Health effects by exposure source are noted in radar traffic devices, wireless communications with cellular phones, radio transmission and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).” 

• osha.gov Radiofrequency and Microwave Radiation Health Effects

Man holds assembly to teach kids cell phone dangers

EL PASO, TX — The hundreds of students gathered in the gym of Desert View Middle School did not know Daniel Peinado, much less how he died. It is his father’s goal to change that.

Albert Peinado’s teenage son was killed in a car crash last summer in Virginia. Daniel was engaged in a conversation on his cell phone when he stepped out onto the street. He did not see the oncoming car, and was struck.

Since then, Mr. Peinado has realized that what happened to his son can happen to other kids. His goal to prevent that tragedy and honor his son in the process led to his pioneering a cell phone safety assembly. “Street Smarts” was held Wednesday afternoon.

“Before I tell you my story,” Mr. Peinado, an English teacher at Desert View, told the hundreds of kids sitting on the gym bleachers, “I want to introduce you to my son, Daniel.” A slideshow of his son, from birth to his final years as a student at Hanks, rolled as Elton John’s song “Daniel” played in the background.

Many of these students had no idea what Mr. Peinado had been dealing with since last summer.

“It’s good that he was able to come out and talk to us about this,” said Angelica Castaneda, an eighth grader at Desert View. “It’s true what he was talking about. It can happen to anyone. It’s a possibility that anyone can be affected by this.”

At the end of the assembly, students passed out green wristbands with Daniel’s name on them, to remind them of his story and why they should not talk or text on their cell phones while walking near or across the street.

“They seem to be paying attention and it seems to be sinking in and that is what we’re hoping for. That they remember,” said Peinado.

“Now, when I see the wristband, it’s going to be like, ok, don’t do it. Just for those few seconds, don’t do it,” said Castaneda.

Before releasing the students, Peinado asked all of them to hold hands and repeat after him a phrase he hopes catches on: “When a car is near, keep your mind clear.”

The father and teacher hopes to take his assembly to other campuses.

Written for kvia.com by Anchor/Reporter Stephanie Valle

KVIA.com – Man holds assmebly to teach kids cell phone dangers

Cell Phones Five Times More Dangerous for Kids

Dr. Lennart Hardell, professor of oncology at the University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden, found from examining 15 studies from six countries that children using cell phones before the age of 20 had five times the likelihood of developing gliomas (brain cancers) and acoustic neuromas (tumors of the auditory nerve) than people who start cell phone use after the age of 20. The incidence of cancer for children under 20 years old using handheld phones is four times more than those over age 20 who use those phones.

A glioma is a cancer of the glia cells. Glia (from Greek, meaning glue) are the neuron- support team, holding the neurons in place, supplying them with nutrients and oxygen, and guiding their development in the young. No matter what type of glioma a person has, the prognosis is very poor, the longevity of those being only nine months to three years after diagnosis.

Acoustic neuromas are benign tumors of the auditory nerve, although to the people who get them, they are anything but benign, as they cause dizziness, loss of balance, and deafness.

A child’s brain is not considered developed until the age of 20. The cell phone radiation goes 5 inches into a child’s brain and 2 inches into an adult’s. Although there has been a recent increase of brain cancer in children coincidental with the introduction of cell phones, an epidemic is not expected to begin for about 10 years.

The European Parliament has voted to urge countries to be stricter in limiting use of cell phones by the young. In the United States, a subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee is considering the question.

theepochtimes.com – Cell Phones Five Times More Dangerous for Kids