Panasonic EB-TX210 EB-TX220 Operating Instructions

							    89
Appendix C: Consumer Update
Consumer 
Update
Consumer Update on Mobile Phones
(Published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for 
Devices and Radiological Health, October 20, 1999.)
FDA has been receiving inquiries about the safety of mobile 
phones, including cellular phones and PCS phones. The 
following summarizes what is known--and what remains 
unknown--about whether these products can pose a hazard to 
health, and what can be done to minimize any potential risk. This 
information may be used to respond to questions.
Why the concern?
Mobile phones emit low levels of radiofrequency energy (i.e., 
radiofrequency radiation) in the microwave range while being 
used. They also emit very low levels of radiofrequency energy 
(RF), considered non-significant, when in the stand-by mode. It is 
well known that high levels of RF can produce biological damage 
through heating effects (this is how your microwave oven is able 
to cook food). However, it is not known whether, to what extent, or 
through what mechanism, lower levels of RF might cause 
adverse health effects as well. Although some research has been 
done to address these questions, no clear picture of the biological 
effects of this type of radiation has emerged to date. Thus, the 
available science does not allow us to conclude that mobile 
phones are absolutely safe, or that they are unsafe. However, the 
available scientific evidence does not
 demonstrate any adverse 
health effects associated with the use of mobile phones.
What kind of phones are in question?
Questions have been raised about hand-held mobile phones, the 
kind that have a built-in antenna that is positioned close to the 
user’s head during normal telephone conversation. These types 
of mobile phones are of concern because of the short distance 
between the phone’s antenna — the primary source of the RF — 
and the person’s head. The exposure to RF from mobile phones 
in which the antenna is located at greater distances from the user 
(on the outside of a car, for example) is drastically lower than that 
from hand-held phones, because a person’s RF exposure 
decreases rapidly with distance from the source. The safety of 
so-called “cordless phones, which have a base unit connected to  
						

							Appendix C
90    
the telephone wiring in a house and which operate at far lower 
power levels and frequencies, has not been questioned. 
How much evidence is there that hand-held mobile phones 
might be harmful?
Briefly, there is not enough evidence to know for sure, either way; 
however, research efforts are on-going. The existing scientific 
evidence is conflicting and many of the studies that have been 
done to date have suffered from flaws in their research methods. 
Animal experiments investigating the effects of RF exposures 
characteristic of mobile phones have yielded conflicting results. A 
few animal studies, however, have suggested that low levels of 
RF could accelerate the development of cancer in laboratory 
animals. In one study, mice genetically altered to be predisposed 
to developing one type of cancer developed more than twice as 
many such cancers when they were exposed to RF energy 
compared to controls. There is much uncertainty among 
scientists about whether results obtained from animal studies 
apply to the use of mobile phones. First, it is uncertain how to 
apply the results obtained in rats and mice to humans. Second, 
many of the studies that showed increased tumor development 
used animals that had already been treated with cancer-causing 
chemicals, and other studies exposed the animals to the RF 
virtually continuously — up to 22 hours per day.
For the past five years in the United States, the mobile phone 
industry has supported research into the safety of mobile phones. 
This research has resulted in two findings in particular that merit 
additional study:
1 In a hospital-based, case-control study, researchers looked for an 
association between mobile phone use and either glioma (a type of 
brain cancer) or acoustic neuroma (a benign tumor of the nerve 
sheath). No statistically significant association was found between 
mobile phone use and acoustic neuroma. There was also no 
association between mobile phone use and gliomas when all types 
of gliomas were considered together. It should be noted that the 
average length of mobile phone exposure in this study was less than 
three years.
When 20 types of glioma were considered separately, however, an 
association was found between mobile phone use and one rare type 
of glioma, neuroepithelliomatous tumors. It is possible with multiple 
comparisons of the same sample that this association occurred by 
chance. Moreover, the risk did not increase with how often the 
mobile phone was used, or the length of the calls. In fact, the risk 
actually decreased with cumulative hours of mobile phone use. Most 
cancer causing agents increase risk with increased exposure. An 
ongoing study of brain cancers by the National Cancer Institute is 
expected to bear on the accuracy and repeatability of these results.
1 
						

							Appendix C
    91
2 Researchers conducted a large battery of laboratory tests to assess 
the effect of exposure to mobile phone RF on genetic material. 
These included tests for several kinds of abnormalities, including 
mutations, chromosomal aberrations, DNA strand breaks, and 
structural changes in the genetic material of blood cells called 
lymphocytes. None of the tests showed any effect from the RF 
except for the micronucleus assay, which detects structural effects 
on the genetic material. The cells in this assay showed changes 
after exposure to simulated cell phone radiation, but only after 24 
hours of exposure. It is possible that exposing the test cells to 
radiation for this long resulted in heating. Since this assay is known 
to be sensitive to heating, heat alone could have caused the 
abnormalities to occur. The data already in the literature on the 
response of the micronucleus assay to RF are conflicting. Thus, 
follow-up research is necessary.
2 
FDA is currently working with government, industry, and academic 
groups to ensure the proper follow-up to these industry-funded 
research findings. Collaboration with the Cellular 
Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) in particular is 
expected to lead to FDA providing research recommendations and 
scientific oversight of new CTIA-funded research based on such 
recommendations. 
Two other studies of interest have been reported recently in the 
literature:
1 Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated mobile phone 
signals under laboratory conditions while they performed cognitive 
function test. There were no changes in the subjects’ ability to recall 
words, numbers, or pictures, or in their spatial memory, but they 
were able to make choices more quickly in one visual test when they 
were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals. This was the only 
change noted among more than 20 variables compared.
3
2 In study of 209 brain tumor cases and 425 matched controls, there 
was no increased risk of brain tumors associated with mobile phone 
use. When tumors did exist in certain locations, however, they were 
more likely to be on the side of the head where the mobile phone 
was used. Because this occurred in only a small number of cases, 
the increased likelihood was too small to be statistically significant.
4
In summary, we do not have enough information at this point to 
assure the public that there are, or are not, any low incident 
health problems associated with use of mobile phones. FDA 
continues to work with all parties, including other federal agencies 
and industry, to assure that research is undertaken to provide the 
necessary answers to the outstanding questions about the safety 
of mobile phones.          
						

							Appendix C
92    
What is known about cases of human cancer that have been 
reported in users of handheld mobile phones?
Some people who have used mobile phones have been 
diagnosed with brain cancer. But it is important to understand that 
this type of cancer also occurs among people who have not used 
mobile phones. In fact, brain cancer occurs in the U.S. population 
at a rate of about 6 new cases per 100,000 people each year. At 
that rate, assuming 80 million users of mobile phones (a number 
increasing at a rate of about 1 million per month), about 4800 
cases of brain cancer would be expected each year among those 
80 million people, whether or not they used their phones. Thus it 
is not possible to tell whether any individual’s cancer arose 
because of the phone, or whether it would have happened 
anyway. A key question is whether the risk of getting a particular 
form of cancer is greater among people who use mobile phones 
than among the rest of the population. One way to answer that 
question is to compare the usage of mobile phones among 
people with brain cancer with the use of mobile phones among 
appropriately matched people without brain cancer. This is called 
a case-control study. The current case-control study of brain 
cancers by the National Cancer Institute, as well as the follow-up 
research to be sponsored by industry, will begin to generate this 
type of information.
What is FDA’s role concerning the safety of mobile phones?
Under the law, FDA does not review the safety of radiation-
emitting consumer products such as mobile phones before 
marketing, as it does with new drugs or medical devices. 
However, the agency has authority to take action if mobile 
phones are shown to emit radiation at a level that is hazardous to 
the user. In such a case, FDA could require the manufacturers of 
mobile phones to notify users of the health hazard and to repair, 
replace or recall the phones so that the hazard no longer exists.
Although the existing scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory 
actions at this time, FDA has urged the mobile phone industry to 
take a number of steps to assure public safety. The agency has 
recommended that the industry:
support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of 
the type emitted by mobile phones;
design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure 
to the user that is not necessary for device function; and 
cooperate in providing mobile phone users with the best possible 
information on what is known about possible effects of mobile 
phone use on human health. 
						

							Appendix C
    93
At the same time, FDA belongs to an interagency working group 
of the federal agencies that have responsibility for different 
aspects of mobile phone safety to ensure a coordinated effort at 
the federal level. These agencies are:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Communications Commission
Occupational Health and Safety Administration
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Institutes of Health also participates in this group.
In the absence of conclusive information about any possible 
risk, what can concerned individuals do?
If there is a risk from these products — and at this point we do not 
know that there is — it is probably very small. But if people are 
concerned about avoiding even potential risks, there are simple 
steps they can take to do so. For example, time is a key factor in 
how much exposure a person receives. Those persons who 
spend long periods of time on their hand-held mobile phones 
could consider holding lengthy conversations on conventional 
phones and reserving the hand-held models for shorter 
conversations or for situations when other types of phones are 
not available.
People who must conduct extended conversations in their cars 
every day could switch to a type of mobile phone that places 
more distance between their bodies and the source of the RF, 
since the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For 
example, they could switch to
a mobile phone in which the antenna is located outside the 
vehicle,
a hand-held phone with a built-in antenna connected to a different 
antenna mounted on the outside of the car or built into a separate 
package, or 
a headset with a remote antenna to a mobile phone carried at the 
waist.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that mobile phones 
are harmful. But if people are concerned about the 
radiofrequency energy from these products, taking the simple 
precautions outlined above can reduce any possible risk. 
						

							Appendix C
94    
Where can I find additional information? 
For additional information, see the following websites:
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety Program 
(select “Information on Human Exposure to RF Fields from 
Cellular and PCD Radio Transmitters”): 
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety
World Health Organization (WHO) International Commission on 
Non-lonizing Radiation Protection (select Qs & As): 
http:// www.who.int/peh-emf
United Kingdom, National Radiological Protection Board: 
http://www.nrpb.org.uk
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA):
http://www.wow-com.com
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health: 
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/
1 Muscat et al. “Epidemiological Study of Cellular Telephone Use and 
Malignant Brain Tumors”. In: State of the Science Symposium; 
1999 June 20; Long Beach, California.
2 Tice et al. “Tests of mobile phone signals for activity in genotoxicity 
and other laboratory assays”. In: Annual Meeting of the 
Environmental Mutagen Society. March 29,1999, Washington, D.C. 
and personal communication, unpublished results.
3 Preece, AW, Iwi, G, Davies-Smith, A, Wesnes, K, Butler, S, Lim, E, 
and Varey, A. “Effect of a 915-MHz simulated mobile phone signal 
on cognitive function in man”. Int. J. Radiat. Biol., April 8, 1999.
4 Hardell, L, Nasman, A, Pahlson, A, Hallquist, Aand Mild, KH. “Use 
of cellular telephones and the risk for brain tumors: a case-control 
study”. Int. J. Oncol., 15: 113-116, 1999. 
						

							    95
Index
A
Accessories 85
Aircraft
using your phone in
 6
Alarm, setting
 53
Alert settings
message alert type
 50
ring alert
 20
Answer options
 28
Answered calls
 46
Answering calls
 25
Auto answer
 55
Automatic redial
 31
B
Battery precautions 1
C
Call history
answered calls
 46
deleting call lists
 47
last dialed calls
 45
timer
 47
unanswered calls
 46
Call lock
 60
Call timers
 47
Charge time
 10
Charging precautions
 1
Clear key
 12, 13
Customizing volume and tone
 48–50
D
Date and time, setting 53
Deleting call lists
 47
Digit limit
 62
Digital service
 23
Display icon descriptions
 14
Driving while using phone
 4
DTMF tone length
 56
E
Emergency (911) calls 2
Ending a call
 23
Entering numbers (NUM) mode
 36
Entering symbols (SYM) mode
 36
Entering text
 33
using Letter Entry mode
 34
using Word Entry (Word T9) 
mode
 35
F
Fixing phone problems
battery won’t recharge
 80
calls dropped inadvertently
 81
difficult to hear other party
 83
Initialization Error xxxx appears 
on display
 79
other party unable to hear you
 83
phone won’t turn on
 79
Run Time Error xxxx appears 
on display
 79
unable to place calls
 82
unable to receive calls
 81
unable to set a phone feature
 83
unable to store entries in 
phonebook
 83
Function key descriptions
clear key
 13
home key
 13
left softkey
 13
message key
 13
pause key
 13
PWR/End key
 13
right softkey
 13
send key
 13
Speakerphone/Quiet Mode key
 13
G
General precautions 2
Index 
						

							96    
H
Handsfree mode 55
Headset jack (accessory 
connector)
 12
Home key
 13
I
Icons appearing on display 14
Icons used in manual
 ix
In-call features
 25
Incoming lock
 61
Indicator light
 12
K
Key entry table 36
Key lock
 64
L
Languages 58
Last dialed calls
 45
Left softkey
 13
Listening to voice mail
 29, 72
Lock code
changing
 59
lost or misplaced
 59
new number
 60
Locking incoming calls
 61
Locking outgoing calls
 61
Lost lock code
 59
M
Making a call 23
Menu map
 17
Message alert type
 50
Message key
 13
Messages
accessing
 70
adding
 69
calling back
 69
creating
 71
deleting
 69
editing
 68
forwarding
 68
locking and unlocking
 69
reading
 66
replying to
 68
Muting mouthpiece
 26
N
NAM 75
Network service
voice privacy
 74
Numbers
entering in a text message
 36
O
Outgoing lock 61
P
Pause key 13
Phone description
 12
Phone settings
auto answer
 55
DTMF tone length
 56
keypad volume
 49
languages
 58
warning tone
 57
welcome screen
 57
Phonebook
creating an entry
 37
deleting an entry
 42
dialing calls from
 41
editing an entry
 42
saving numbers in
 37
searching for information in
 43
Placing calls
 23
dialing with phonebook
 24
Precautions
 2
Preset messages, selecting
 54
PWR/End key
 12, 13
R
Reading text messages 66
Recharging your battery
battery specifications
 10
low-battery warning
 10, 12
recharging tips
 9
Redialing
 30
Restricting calls
 60
Restricting phone number length
 62
Right softkey
 13
Ring alert
 20 
						

							    97
S
Safety tips
aircraft
 6
antenna care
 4
blasting areas
 6
driving
 4
electronic devices
 5
explosive atmospheres
 6
phone operation
 4
vehicles with air bags
 6
Scratchpad
 27
Scroll key
 12, 13
Searching the phonebook
 43
Security lock
 62
Security options
call lock
 60
changing lock code
 59
incoming lock
 61
outgoing lock
 61
setting digit limit
 62
turning off security lock
 63
Send key
 12, 13
Softkeys
 12
Speakerphone, using
 27
Speakerphone/Quiet Mode key
 13
Speed dialing
 40
super speed dialing
 40
Standby display
 15, 16
Standby time
 10
Symbols
entering in a text message
 36
System setting menu
searching for available systems
 76
selecting your phone number 
(NAM)
 75
service priority
 77
T
Talk time 10
Text message alert
 50
Time spent on call(s)
 47
U
Unanswered calls 28, 46
V
Vibration alert, setting 32
Viewing your phone number
 44, 75
during a call
 26
Voice call standby display
 23
Voice mail
 29, 72
Voice privacy
 74
Volume (caller’s voice)
 25
Volume (keypad)
 49
W
Warning tone settings 57
Welcome screen
 57 
						

							98 
The Basics
To order this manual in Spanish 
(part number 7LB992A), call our toll free number 
1(800)833-9626
.
Si desea hacer su pedido de la versión en español 
(No. catálogo 7LB992A) de este manual, llame sin 
costo al 1(800)833-9626
.