Safety
74
phones?
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE) is developing a
technical standard for measuring
the Radio Frequency (RF) energy
exposure from wireless phones
and other wireless handsets with
the participation and leadership of
FDA scientists and engineers. The
standard, "Recommended Practice for
Determining the Spatial-Peak Specific
Absorption Rate (SAR) in the Human
Body Due to Wireless Communications
Devices: Experimental Techniques" ,
sets forth the first consistent test
methodology for measuring the rate
at which RF is deposited in the heads
of wireless phone users. The test
method uses a tissue-simulating model
of the human head. Standardized
SAR test methodology is expected
to greatly improve the consistency
of measurements made at different
laboratories on the same phone. SAR
is the measurement of the amount of
energy absorbed in tissue, either by the
whole body or a small part of the body.
It is measured in watts/kg (or milliwatts/