Online businesses run websites selling fear of EMF. Googling “electrosmog” reveals many such revenue generators, all of which make baseless claims of alleged health effects and feature a prominent “DONATE” button. They do real harm by distracting from actual dangers (e.g., global warming).
These sites most often focus on “opinion” studies with no dosimetry (no measurement of actual EMF exposure, just self-reported recollection of subjective proximity to devices) and no clinical assessment of very common symptoms they attribute without evidence to EMF. Claims of health effects with no actual dose measurements or clinical assessment is not credible.
Some people believe they are “hypersensitive” to EMFs, but there’s no evidence to back it up; Rubin, G. James; Hillert, Lena; Nieto-Hernandez, Rosa; van Rongen, Eric; Oftedal, Gunnhild (December 2011). "Do people with idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields display physiological effects when exposed to electromagnetic fields?". Bioelectromagnetics. 32 (8): 593–609).
Bioeffects from exposure to very high levels of microwave radiation are well understood (tissue heats up – basis of microwave cooking). Levels to which members of the public are exposed are far too low to have any effects. The recognized exposure limits adequately protect the public. Actual exposures are well below the exposure limits. See e.g., Bushberg JT and Butcher MJ. Measurement of ambient millimeter wave exposures levels around small base stations (January 2025). Health Physics 128(2):1-7.
Those running “electrosmog” sites point to the “NTP study” as a scientific basis of their claims that cell phone radiation causes cancer. They refer to the 2018 National Toxicology Program Report on mice [https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/tr596] and rats [https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/tr595] exposed to RF used by cell phones. Rodents were exposed to levels near the public exposure limits for 9 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 2 years. These studies showed no statistically significant effects on female mice, male mice, or female rats, and a HUGE increase in life span for the exposed male rats. Thermal effects can explain the significant effects in the rats. See e.g., Kuhne J, Schmidt JA, Geschwentner D, Pophof B, Ziegelberger G. Thermoregulatory Stress as Potential Mediating Factor in the NTP Cell Phone Tumor Study. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020 Sep;41(6):471-479 [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7522680/]. The NTP study also found a small number of rare heart tumors in the warmed male rats, but not in the mice or female rats. The NTP researchers did not control for warming the male rats (i.e., the controls were not heated the way the exposed rats were), so the most obvious explanation for the tiny number of excess heart tumors is that the exposed male rats heated up more than the mice or female rats. The study’s own peer reviewers noted “…panelists agreed that information to specifically rule out a thermal or non-thermal effect was insufficient.” (NTP TR595 p. 420).
A review of the NTP study by internationally-recognized scientific experts on RF effects noted “…substantial limitations preclude conclusions being drawn concerning RF EMFs and carcinogenesis” and “…a preponderance of reported effects in the male rats, whose body core temperature would have increased more than either the female rats or either male or female mice (due to their smaller surface area-to-mass ratio), which would have put them under greater metabolic stress due to their greater thermoregulatory requirements.” ICNIRP Note on recent animal carcinogenesis studies (2018) [https://www.icnirp.org/cms/upload/publications/ICNIRPnote2018.pdf]
John Bucher, the lead writer on the NTP report, noted that he is not changing his cellphone use or asking his family to, and that the findings of the rare nerve-tissue tumor found in the hearts of male rats does not mean humans should be worried. [https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/health-lifestyles-researchers-say-no-cancer-from-cellphone-use/4244699.html]
Far from being clear evidence, the NTP study shows no effect on mice and most significantly a huge increase in male rat lifespan. The tiny number of heart tumors in the exposed rats could most rationally be explained by tissue heating.
Electrosmog sites claim cell phones cause cancer and point to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2011 classification of radiofrequency as “possibly carcinogenic” [https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr208_E.pdf], without mentioning that IARC’s “possibly” category has the lowest certainty of any IARC rating (below “probable” and “known” carcinogen categories), and that the “possible” rating includes things like aloe vera and ginkgo biloba.
See attached file for full response
207 mW/cm² RF Exposure 24/7 on Elderly
(See the attached PDF)
October 20, 2026
Margarette Lisa Long
600 Coffman St. #220
Longmont, CO 80501
541-631-8907
Subject: Unequal Protection from RF Radiation in Longmont, CO
Dear FCC and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,
Thank you for addressing this important manner to protect humanities health.
Why do other countries protect the health of their citizens more than our great country?
I am a resident of The Village on Main, a federally subsidized low-income housing complex in Longmont, Colorado. Our building is located directly across from a cell tower and experiences continuous radio frequency (RF) exposure, measured indoors at approximately 20.7 µW/cm², 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Through my research, I have discovered that government and civic buildings in the same area have been shielded from RF exposure (shown in green on the attached map), while residential and low-income housing buildings remain unshielded (shown in red), despite being much closer to the towers.
This raises serious health and environmental justice concerns:
Low-income, elderly, and disabled residents are left disproportionately exposed while protections are provided to government employees.
The exposure in my building exceeds Russia’s national safety limit of 10 µW/cm² and is significantly above precautionary limits in other countries.
The 2021 D.C. Circuit Court ruling (EHT v. FCC) found that the FCC failed to adequately review health impacts of chronic, low-level RF exposure, underscoring the need for state-level action.
I respectfully request:
The US adopts the precautionary principle including non-thermal effects standards like China, Italy, Poland, Russia and Eastern Europe of safety limit of 10 µW/cm² max.
Also:
An investigation into this unequal application of shielding protections.
Equitable RF protections for residents of federally subsidized housing.
Development of state-level RF exposure guidance that prioritizes vulnerable populations.
Shielding technology already exists and has been applied — it must be applied equitably. Residents should not be treated as second-class citizens when it comes to health protections.
After moving in here I woke up everyday for 6 months feeling every cell in my body aching.
I shielded my apartment and that feeling when away immediately.
I live next to many elderly in their 80’s and 90’s. They don’t have the resources or time and energy to shield their units.
This is a crime on humanity.
Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.
Neurobehavioral Effects Among Inhabitants Around Mobile Phone Base Stations. Abdel-Rassoul, G., et al. NeuroToxicology 28(2):434-440. (2007).
Sincerely,
Margarette Lisa Long
WE LIVE HERE 24/7 >>>>>>>
Regulatory limits are based on time-averaged exposure (commonly a 6-minute average).
See attached file(s)See comment attached.
*See Attached Testimonial From Another Innocent Individual Injured By Wireless RF Radiation
Kevin Mottus, Outreach Director
CA Brain Tumor Assn
Email: wirelessbiologicaleffects@gmail.com
See attached file(s)See comment attached.
*See Attached Testimonial From Another Innocent Individual Injured By Wireless RF Radiation
Kevin Mottus, Outreach Director
CA Brain Tumor Assn
Email: wirelessbiologicaleffects@gmail.com
See comment attached.
*See Attached Testimonial From Another Innocent Individual Injured By Wireless RF Radiation
Kevin Mottus, Outreach Director
CA Brain Tumor Assn
Email: wirelessbiologicaleffects@gmail.com