Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) Signals. Samsung SCH-U370 Verizon Wireless, SCH-U370, SCH-U370XKZVZW

Section 14: Health and Safety Information

This section outlines the safety precautions associated with using your phone. The terms “mobile device” or “cell phone” are used in this section to refer to your phone. Read this information before

using your mobile device.

Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) Signals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published information for consumers relating to Radio Frequency (RF) exposure from wireless phones. The FDA publication includes the following information:

Do cell phones pose a health hazard?

Many people are concerned that cell phone radiation will cause cancer or other serious health hazards. The weight of scientific evidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems.

Cell phones emit low levels of Radio Frequency (RF) energy. Over the past 15 years, scientists have conducted hundreds of studies looking at the biological effects of the radio frequency energy emitted by cell phones. While some researchers have reported biological changes associated with RF energy, these studies have failed to be replicated. The majority of studies published have failed to show an association between exposure to radio frequency from a cell phone and health problems.

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The low levels of RF cell phones emit while in use are in the microwave frequency range. They also emit RF at substantially reduced time intervals 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.

The biological effects of radio frequency energy should not be confused with the effects from other types of electromagnetic energy.

Very high levels of electromagnetic energy, such as is found in

X-rays and gamma rays, can ionize biological tissues. Ionization is a process where electrons are stripped away from their normal locations in atoms and molecules. It can permanently damage biological tissues including DNA, the genetic material.

The energy levels associated with radio frequency energy, including both radio waves and microwaves, are not great enough to cause ionization of atoms and molecules. Therefore,

RF energy is a type of non-ionizing radiation. Other types of non-ionizing radiation include visible light, infrared radiation

(heat), and other forms of electromagnetic radiation with relatively low frequencies.

While RF energy does not ionize particles, large amounts can increase body temperatures and cause tissue damage. 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.

Research Results to Date: Is there a connection between

RF and certain health problems?

The results of most studies conducted to date say no. In addition, attempts to replicate and confirm the few studies that have shown a connection have failed.

The scientific community at large therefore believes that the weight of scientific evidence does not show an association between exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) from cell phones and adverse health outcomes. Still the scientific community has supported additional research to address gaps in knowledge.

Some of these studies are described below.

Interphone Study

Interphone is a large international study designed to determine whether cell phones increase the risk of head and neck cancer. A report published in the International Journal of Epidemiology

(June, 2010) compared cell phone usage for more than 5,000 people with brain tumors (glioma and meningioma) and a similar number of healthy controls.

Results of this study did NOT show that cell phones caused brain cancer. In this study, most people had no increased risk of brain cancer from using cell phones. For people with the heaviest use of cell phones (an average of more than ½ hour per day, every day, for over 10 years) the study suggested a slight increase in brain cancer. However, the authors determined that biases and errors prevented any conclusions being drawn from this data.

Additional information about Interphone can be found at http://com.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/.

Interphone is the largest cell phone study to date, but it did not answer all questions about cell phone safety. Additional research is being conducted around the world, and the FDA continues to monitor developments in this field.

International Cohort Study on Mobile Phone Users (COSMOS)

The COSMOS study aims to conduct long-term health monitoring of a large group of people to determine if there are any health issues linked to long-term exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phone use. The COSMOS study will follow approximately 300,000 adult cell phone users in Europe for 20 to

30 years. Additional information about the COSMOS study can be found at http://www.ukcosmos.org/index.html

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Risk of Brain Cancer from Exposure to Radio Frequency Fields in Childhood and Adolescence (MOBI-KIDS)

MOBI-KIDS is an international study investigating the relationship between exposure to radio frequency energy from communication technologies including cell phones and brain cancer in young people. This is an international multi-center study involving 14 European and non-European countries.

Additional information about MOBI-KIDS can be found at http://www.creal.cat/programes-recerca/en_projectes-creal/ view.php?ID=39.

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Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) actively follows cancer statistics in the United States to detect any change in rates of new cases for brain cancer. If cell phones play a role in risk for brain cancer, rates should go up, because heavy cell phone use has been common for quite some time in the U.S. Between 1987 and 2005, the overall age-adjusted incidence of brain cancer did not increase. Additional information about SEER can be found at http://seer.cancer.gov/ .

Cell Phone Industry Actions

Although the existing scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has urged the cell phone industry to take a number of steps, including the following:

• Support-needed research on possible biological effects of RF for the type of signal emitted by cell phones;

• Design cell phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user; and

• Cooperate in providing users of cell phones with the current information on cell phone use and human health concerns.

The FDA also is working with voluntary standard-setting bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

(IEEE), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation

Protection (ICNIRP), and others to assure that safety standards continue to adequately protect the public.

Reducing Exposure: Hands-Free Kits and Other

Accessories

Steps to Reduce Exposure to Radio Frequency Energy

If there is a risk from being exposed to radio frequency energy

(RF) from cell phones - and at this point we do not know that there is - it is probably very small. But, if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your RF exposure.

• Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone;

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• Use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.

Hands-Free Kits

Hands-free kits may include audio or Bluetooth® headsets and various types of body-worn accessories such as belt-clips and holsters. Combinations of these can be used to reduce RF energy absorption from cell phones.

Headsets can substantially reduce exposure because the phone is held away from the head in the user's hand or in approved body-worn accessories. Cell phones marketed in the U.S. are required to meet RF exposure compliance requirements when used against the head and against the body.

Because there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from cell phones, there is no reason to believe that hands-free kits reduce risks. Hands-free kits can be used for convenience and comfort. They are also required by law in many states if you want to use your phone while driving.

Cell Phone Accessories that Claim to Shield the Head from

RF Radiation

Because there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from cell phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories which claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. 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. Unlike “hands-free” kits, these so-called “shields” may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption.

Children and Cell Phones

The scientific evidence does not show a danger to any users of cell phones from RF exposure, including children and teenagers.

The steps adults can take to reduce RF exposure apply to children and teenagers as well.

• Reduce the amount of time spent on the cell phone;

• Use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between the head and the cell phone.

Some groups sponsored by other national governments have advised that children be discouraged from using cell phones at all. For example, The Stewart Report from the United Kingdom made such a recommendation in December 2000. In this report, a group of independent experts noted that no evidence exists that using a cell phone causes brain tumors or other ill effects. Their recommendation to limit cell phone use by children was strictly precautionary; it was not based on scientific evidence that any health hazard exists.

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