US watchdog calls for review of cell phone radiation rules
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photos
WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - United States regulators should take a fresh look at 15-year-old standards on radiofrequency energy from mobile phones, an investigative arm of the US Congress said on Tuesday amid lingering concerns the devices may cause brain tumours.
Before a mobile phone comes on the US market, it is first tested to ensure its emissions are within a limit determined by the Federal Communications Commission to be safe for human exposure.
But that limit may not reflect the latest research, and testing may not reflect the actual conditions under which mobile phones are used, such as when stored directly against the body in a pocket while someone talks through an ear piece, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
The report concludes a year-long investigation prompted by Democratic representatives Edward Markey, Henry Waxman and Anna Eshoo.
