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Section 4: Safety Guidelines and Warranty Information
108 4A: Safety
Large amounts of RF energy can heat tissue. This can damage tissues
and increase body temperatures. Two areas of the body, the eyes and the
testes, are particularly vulnerable to RF heating because there is
relatively little blood flow in them to carry away excess heat.
The amount of RF radiation routinely encountered by the general public
is too low to produce significant heating or increased body temperature.
Still, some people have questions about the possible health effects of low
levels of RF energy. It is generally agreed that further research is needed
to determine what effects actually occur and whether they are dangerous
to people. In the meantime, standards-setting organizations and
government agencies are continuing to monitor the latest scientific
findings to determine whether changes in safety limits are needed to
protect human health.
FDA, EPA and other US government agencies responsible for public
health and safety have worked together and in connection with WHO to
monitor developments and identify research needs related to RF
biological effects.
5. What levels of RF energy are considered safe?
Various organizations and countries have developed standards for
exposure to radio frequency energy. These standards recommend safe
levels of exposure for both the general public and for workers. In the
United States, the FCC has used safety guidelines for RF environmental
exposure since 1985.
The FCC guidelines for human exposure to RF electromagnetic fields are
derived from the recommendations of two expert organizations, the
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP)
and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In both
cases, the recommendations were developed by scientific and engineering
experts drawn from industry, government, and academia after extensive
reviews of the scientific literature related to the biological effects of
RF energy.
Many countries in Europe and elsewhere use exposure guidelines
developed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP safety limits are generally similar to
those of the NCRP and IEEE, with a few exceptions. For example, ICNIRP