A biomedical researcher requests rigorous studies of EMF mechanisms, exposure measurement and possible fu…

Public Comment — HHS-OASH-2026-0397 I hold a PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Molecular Medicine) from the University of Iowa and a BSc in Biology from Tufts University. My background includes over three years of medical training in an MD/PhD program, biomedical research, and environmental health research development. My current work focuses on real-time indoor fungal monitoring and citizen-science approaches to understanding environmental exposures and health. I have personally experienced significant illness associated with water-damaged, mold-affected indoor environments. I cannot establish that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) contributed to my illness, nor am I reporting confirmed electromagnetic hypersensitivity. My experience has nevertheless reinforced the importance of investigating poorly characterized environmental exposures before preventable harms become widespread. Biological mechanisms: Non-ionizing radiation lacks sufficient photon energy to directly ionize molecules, but that distinction does not establish biological inertness. Human physiology depends on membrane potentials, ion transport, and electrochemical signaling. Under appropriate conditions, external electric and time-varying magnetic fields induce currents and affect excitable tissues, as demonstrated by medical applications such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. These established effects do not prove that everyday wireless exposures cause neurological harm. They do justify evaluating specific frequencies, field strengths, modulation patterns, and durations rather than treating non-ionizing status alone as a safety determination. Environmental interactions: I encourage HHS to examine whether EMFs can influence indoor fungal physiology, including growth, sporulation, allergen production, oxidative-stress responses, or secondary metabolism. This is a hypothesis, not an established explanation for mold-related illness. Evidence that ordinary household wiring, Wi-Fi, or cellular signals increase mold virulence or toxicity is insufficient. Controlled studies should compare realistic exposures with sham conditions and measure fungal outcomes while controlling for moisture, temperature, substrates, and ventilation. Low-frequency electrical fields and radiofrequency wireless exposures should be evaluated separately. Exposure assessment: Better personal and building-level measurements are essential to identifying meaningful exposure-health relationships. I recommend validated, time-resolved monitoring of relevant exposure characteristics, combined with building data, objective health outcomes, and carefully designed longitudinal or citizen-science studies. Studies should address confounding, exposure misclassification, selection bias, privacy, and reproducibility. Clinical research: Individuals reporting symptoms they attribute to EMFs deserve respectful care and rigorous investigation. Blinded provocation studies have generally not established a consistent causal link between everyday RF exposure and reported electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms. Future research should investigate symptoms and potential contributing factors without presuming either causation or dismissal, and should consider populations with distinct exposure or health vulnerabilities. I ask HHS to prioritize: (1) independent, reproducible mechanistic studies at environmentally relevant exposure levels; (2) improved electromagnetic dosimetry and longitudinal exposure assessment; (3) exploratory research on EMF interactions with indoor microbiology; (4) interdisciplinary collaboration across neuroscience, biophysics, environmental epidemiology, microbiology, and building science; and (5) accessible, evidence-based public guidance that clearly distinguishes established risks from uncertainty. The absence of conclusive evidence of harm is not proof of safety; equally, plausible mechanisms and reported symptoms are not proof of causation. Preventative public health depends on investigating uncertainty with rigor and transparency, so individuals can understand their environments and make informed decisions. Rebecca Lesan, PhD Biomedical and Environmental Health Researcher Zürich, Switzerland