Human exposure to radio frequency and microwave radiation from portable and mobile telephones and other wireless communication devices--a COMAR technical information statement.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Committee on Man and Radiation (COMAR) recognizes that there is public concern about the safety of exposure to the radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) fields from hand-held, portable, and mobile cellular telephones. Several national and international organizations have established guidelines for human exposure to radio frequency energy. These include the IEEE C95.1 standard [1] and the recommendations of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) [2], the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) [3] and the National Radiation Protection Board (NRPB) in the United Kingdom [4]. While these guidelines differ in some respects, their limits in the frequency range used by wireless communications devices are broadly similar. The consensus of the scientific community, as reflected in these exposure guidelines, is that exposure to RF energy below recommended limits in these guidelines is safe. In the USA the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorizes the marketing of wireless communication devices that comply with its exposure guidelines [5]. The FCC guidelines, which are based on the NCRP exposure limits, were developed to protect workers and the general population from harmful exposure to RF fields and have been promulgated because of FCC legal responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). European and other countries have their own specific requirements. Measurements have shown that RF exposure to individuals from use of cellular telephones and other low power wireless transceivers is normally within recommended limits. Some cell phones and other wireless transceivers can affect the operation of heart pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, or other body-mounted medical devices, if the phone is placed directly next to the devices (within a few centimeters). Individuals with such devices should follow their physicians’ recommendations regarding safe use of wireless transceivers.