Sony Xperia E dual Reference Guide - Page 22

The maximum permitted emission level by a cellular device asset in the Consumer Protection Regulations (Information on non-ionizing radiation emitted by cellular telephones) 5762 - 2002 is 2 watts per kilogram (W/kg) taken over 10 g of tissue according to the European measuring method, and 1.6 W/kg taken over a mass of 1 gram of tissue according to the American measuring method. Note The maximum SAR level emitted by this device refers to the transmission methods used in Israel. Health and safety aspects Concerns for possibly adverse health impacts by the use of cellular devices, especially its link to cancer, have been raised ever since cellular technology became available to the public in the 1980s. The results of the first study were published in 1996 and the results of several additional studies were published thereafter during the beginning of the 21st century. As a rule, these studies did not indicate a rise in the risk for developing tumors among the users, but all reports indicated that the latency period represented in these studies was insufficient for the assessment of the possible link between exposure to RF emission from cellular devices and the development of cancer in the areas of the body exposed to this emission. Several studies, including the INTERPHONE study coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), were published during the last decade. 18 centers around the world took part in the study. Their comprehensive analysis pointed at an increase in the risk for developing cancer among those who have used a cellular device for more than 10 years, in individuals who reported that they held the cellular device on the side where the tumor developed, and among individuals who were in the top usage category. There is debate in the scientific community as to whether these findings are genuine or the result of methodological issues. In any case, it should be mentioned that the maximal duration and extent of use represented in these studies is limited compared to the current extent of use of cellular devices (a latency period of up to 12 years and 2 to 2.5 hours a month, as reported, for example, by half of the participants in the INTERPHONE Study). These studies examined the risk resulting from the exposure to and the use of the end-user device, and not the environmental exposure to radiation emitted by base stations and other radiation emitting devices. The uncertainty regarding the health hazards, on one hand, and the wide exposure of the population (including children) on the other hand, has brought most of the countries around the globe to take preventive measures regarding exposure to radiation emitted by cellular technology. In May 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as B2 carcinogenic to humans (possibly carcinogenic), and hence has clearly expressed its support for an approach based on preventive caution in this matter. The position of the Ministry of Health is that in consideration of the current study findings, it is necessary to continue abiding by the principle of preventive caution. Recommendations of the Ministry of Health regarding the use of cellular devices The Ministry of Health generally adopts the guidelines as set by most international bodies that recommend the principle of "preventive caution" in the use of cellular devices. In line with such guidelines, the Ministry of Health has made the following recommendations: • Using a speaker/cable-connected (not wireless) headset or earphones and keeping the device away from the body, when used for telephone calls, diminishes exposure to RF emissions. It is therefore recommended to keep the device away from the body and not to carry it on the body while it is used for telephone communication, for example, on a waist belt, in one's pocket, or suspended from a neck strap. Minimizing the amount and duration of calls made using the cellular device is an additional, simple means for reducing exposure. • The level of radiation emitted increases in locations where signal reception is poor (such as those with relatively few antennas or places such as elevators and trains, where electromagnetic shielding causes reception interference). Therefore, using the device for telephone calls should be avoided in such areas. The signal quality is clearly indicated by the cellular device's signal bar, which makes the identification of a poor signal easy. 22 Internet version. For personal use only.