Children & vulnerable groups

I want to share our community’s deeply concerning experience with a proposed cell tower installation located just five feet from a school facility where young children regularly play. Despite significant concerns raised by parents, residents, and the surrounding community, the telecommunications company continued pushing forward with the installation. The owners of the building listened to our concerns and recognized the importance of protecting the children and families who use this space. Unfortunately, the telecommunications company was unwilling to meaningfully address those concerns and even fought against the building owners in its efforts to move forward. As a parent, I find it incredibly troubling that telecommunications infrastructure can be placed so close to areas where children spend their days without greater consideration of potential long-term health effects, environmental impacts, or the concerns of the families directly affected. Our experience highlighted a serious imbalance between the interests of telecommunications companies and the ability of local communities and property owners to have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. I urge HHS to reevaluate existing wireless radiation exposure standards using current, independent scientific research, with particular attention to children’s long-term and cumulative exposure. I also encourage greater transparency, stronger oversight, and meaningful consideration of community concerns when wireless infrastructure is proposed near schools and other places where children gather. Families should not have to fight this hard simply to have legitimate health and safety concerns heard. Our children deserve thoughtful protections, and our communities deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that may affect their health and well-being for years to come.

The change in electric fields, produces magnetic fields and the changes in magnetic fields, generates electric fields. The correlation between each other and the fluctuations between each other, is called “electromagnetic waves” or EMFs. FCC’s old 90s exposure limits take into account the frequency of the carrier waves, but ignore the signaling properties such as pulsing and polarization, along with the duration of exposure, which increases the impacts of the exposure. Verizon never mentions this, FCC doesn’t care to mention it. When directives are out there claiming that safety precautions should be taken against any electrical appliance , in schools, residential areas and other places where people stay for a long time, in order to prevent babies, senior citizens, patients in hospitals, children in schools and playgrounds, and especially overnight during reconstructive sleep ,these precautions are directed at the strongest electromagnetic fields detected. However, knowing what different people , children, unborn, etc, can actually handle without illness or symptoms or deteriorations of the very special human nervous system, is anyone’s guess . There are no parameters for such a cross section of humans and certainly none for animals. Why would you knowingly add on experimental effects of micro wave radiation, to an area, especially such a small area, and just throw chance to the wind? The old fashioned standards the FCC goes on and on about as being the parameters, which were established in 1995 to 1996 and are being questioned currently, but not soon enough for us. FCC allows no environmental or health impact studies to have any effect on deployment of 5G modes. They are afraid the studies would have negative results and would take too long and time is of the essence for them, to make back invested money and compete with the rest of the world. Call me old school , call me sexist, but I was brought up to believe that males had a special place in society. They, like yourselves , were supposed to help and protect woman and children and mothers , in their quests to keep their children safe. My legacy to my own children and my grandchildren, if nothing else, is that I put forth an effort to correct a danger in their environment. Your legacy is to your own children and grandchildren, as well. One day one of my children or grandchildren could unfortunately be diagnosed with a neurological discrepancy, for instance, and wonder if it was because of the node out their window or down the street. Did I fight hard enough for them? Your legacy to your own children and grandchildren is the same but in your cases, your kids and grandchildren might wonder why you didn’t delve further into your product to protect them, and realize you all chose money and your job status , instead of their health

Me myself notice hadache bad sleep, restlessnes, als the children after a days school in wifi all day have hadaches and are restless and don't sleep well

Children's schools should not be located near mobile phone towers or TV towers or electrical transmission power lines. And the powerful Wi-Fi routers often used in schools should not be near any children's desks. California officially issued guidelines advising of mobile phone dangers, warning of increased risk of brain cancer and other health problems, and that children’s developing brains could be at greater risk. The biggest source of RF exposure for most people is using a mobile phone next to the head. You can reduce RF exposure a lot by using the phone's speaker and holding the phone farther away from your head, or using wired headphones say neuro-oncologists & public heath experts. The city council in Berkeley California passed a law that requires retailers to tell consumers how far away their phone should be held. The European Union recommends wired Internet rather than wireless in schools. France also banned WiFi routers in nursery and daycare centers, and restricted elementary school WiFi to only when in use for education. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) states in an open letter to school superintendents, “There is a consistent, emerging science that shows people, especially children who are more vulnerable due to developing brains and thinner skulls, are being affected by the increasing exposure to wireless radiation.” In 2021 a New Hampshire report outlined health risks of cell phone towers in residential neighborhoods. Scientific American reported a study of mobile phone exposure and cancer in rats: www.scientificamerican.com/article/major-cell-phone-radiation-study-reignites-cancer-questions/ According to Dr. Joel Moskowitz (UC/Berkeley), "The study's results reinforce the need for more stringent regulation of radiofrequency radiation and better disclosure of the health risks associated with wireless technologies." Dr. Martha Herbert, a Harvard Pediatrician, wrote in this letter to Montgomery County Schools "there are thousands of papers...that document adverse health and neurological impacts of EMF/RFR"..."Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from wifi and cell towers can exert a disorganizing effect on the ability to learn and remember, and can also be destabilizing to immune and metabolic function"..."Powerful industrial entities have a vested interest in leading the public to believe that EMF/RFR, which we cannot see, taste or touch, is harmless, but this is not true". The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2013 requested a review of EMF radiation emissions from technology devices, citing impact on children. Some schools have reduced WiFi exposure of children: https://ehtrust.org/tag/wifi-in-schools/ https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/school-wifi-networks-could-put-12602188 In 2011 the World Health Organization classified cell phones (and other wireless devices) as a possible carcinogen due to RF emissions. In 2013 Dr. Anthony Miller from University of Toronto School of Public Health recommended that based on new research, radio frequency (RF) exposure should be reclassified as a probable carcinogen. Regarding power lines: Researchers have found health effects, including a doubling of leukemia rates associated with living in AC magnetic field strengths greater than 4.0 mG. www.emfs.info/health/leukaemia/ www.powerwatch.org.uk/elf/overview.asp www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10944614 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20877339 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11055621 The Swedish National Energy Department issued an advisory warning that schools, playgrounds, and day-care centers should not be sited near power lines, and that children should not be subjected for long periods every day to AC magnetic fields over 3.0 mG.

Since its founding in 2007, Environmental Health Trust and numerous experts and expert groups have repeatedly advised governments, through docket filings and briefings of Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other officials, that science-based policy updates are urgently needed to reduce microwave-radiation exposure, especially for young children and the environment. According to Common Sense Media, forty percent of U.S. two-year-olds own some form of two-way microwave-radiating tablet. Outdated 20th century approaches such as those relied on by ICNIRP cannot provide valid means for evaluating fast-moving 21st century technologies. At the same time, the recent issuance of separate requests for information by both HHS and the FCC highlights the lack of a coherent federal policy framework. It also reflects the ongoing tension between the Department of Commerce's technology leadership, which is tasked with accelerating wireless deployment, and HHS and FDA officials, who are responsible for evaluating the evidence, supporting research on potential health risks, and advising the FCC on appropriate regulatory policies. Microwave-radiating devices can provide social, safety, and economic benefits, but their risks have not been adequately considered in standards governing manufacture, testing, use, surveillance, and disposal. Consequently, billions experience repeated, avoidable RF radiation through lifetime use of simultaneously operating phones, tablets, personal monitors, and other two-way microwave-radiating devices, increasing risks of chronic illnesses documented over five decades, much of the research conducted outside the U.S. We therefore welcome the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FCC Request for Information (RFI) on health and environmental impacts. This compendium of selected recent studies (2020-26) on the impact of microwave radiation on human health and the environment completed since the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia ruled in Environmental Health Trust et al. v. FCC, 2021, in response to queries within the RFI from HHS. In response to question 5, we note that current standards for cell phones and other two-way microwave-emitting devices are based largely on studies conducted to avoid heating a small number of rats and mice more than 30 years ago. These outdated standards primarily seek to prevent thermal (heating) effects in the body of a tall adult male and do not reflect exposure patterns experienced by billions of children and smaller-bodied individuals worldwide. They also do not account for the substantial body of research showing adverse effects of microwave radiation on plants, insects, birds, migratory species, mammals, and the ecosystems on which life depends. Phonegate Alert contends that current phone radiation tests, like diesel-engine tests, are fraudulent. We concur. As a result of these efforts, the European Union recently changed its test protocol to 0mm distance from the body. We advise that more stringent exposure limits in high tech nations is evidence per se of the need to update 3-decade old U.S. standards. Response to HHS Request for Information HHS-OASH-2026-0397, HHS-OASH-2026-0397-0001, 2026-19252 Devra Davis PhD, MPH, Fellow American College of Epidemiology, Fellow Collegium Ramazzini, Founder and Acting President, Environmental Health Trust, former Honorary Professor Medicine, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, former Professor of Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and elsewhere Introduction Since its founding in 2007, Environmental Health Trust and numerous experts and expert groups have repeatedly advised governments, through docket filings and briefings of Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other officials, that science-based policy updates are urgently needed to reduce microwave-radiation exposure, especially for young children and the environment. According to Common Sense Media, forty percent of U.S. two-year-olds own some form of two-way microwave-radiating tablet. Outdated 20th century approaches such as those relied on by ICNIRP cannot provide valid means for evaluating fast-moving 21st century technologies. Consequently, billions experience repeated, avoidable RF radiation through lifetime use of simultaneously operating phones, tablets, personal monitors, and other two-way microwave-radiating devices, increasing risks of chronic illnesses documented over five decades, much of the research conducted outside the U.S. This compendium of selected recent studies (2020-26) on the impact of microwave radiation on human health and the environment completed since the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia ruled in Environmental Health Trust et al. v. FCC, 2021, in response to queries within the RFI from HHS.

I support HHS and their efforts to conduct a study on the dangers of EMF radiation to the public. This investigation and/or study is many years past due. Citizens already have been severely harmed by EMF radiation which has been completely ignored. More strict steps and regulations need to be placed in our country to prevent dangerous harm to our children and adults. Thank you taking the time to read this comment!

I support HHS and their efforts to conduct a study on the dangers of EMF radiation to the public. This investigation and/or study is many years past due. Citizens already have been severely harmed by EMF radiation which has been completely ignored. More strict steps and regulations need to be placed in our country to prevent dangerous harm to our children and adults. Thank you taking the time to read this comment!

I am not a robot:) I have observed the increased illness and irritation of family members exposed in their households due to EMF's, wirelss and rf radiation. The behaviors of these young children in these environments (and now their schools) is significantly irritable and "wired" in ways that they cannot get a restful sleep and their attention appears to be diluted. In contrast, outside and away from cell towers, wearables, etc. they return to being more curious, playful and easy going/hospitable. It is a worry that they are intentionally wired from the pleathora of exposures. Please make this a high priority. I fear it has long lasting impacts to health and our society overall. Not to mention the pets, plants and animals. Yes, I have observed different pets have different reactions to exposures... as well.

EMFs (5G, Wifi, etc.) are making us feel physically sick. Even if an individual tries to limit their exposure, surrounding homes/apartments are using Wifi, and internet providers are constantly increasing the range of Wifi signals. My home is exposed to 14 different Wifi signals at any given time, even though I'm not using it. 5G cell towers are everywhere and dangerously close to homes, schools, and hospitals. The young and medically vulnerable are being blasted by a continuous stream of harmful EMF in huge doses. Other countries don't allow such high levels of EMF output, but Americans suffer being constantly exposed to this harm. This is wrong and needs to stop. There are safer ways to provide communication, even wireless communication. This is making people sick.

Our children are increasingly surrounded by electromagnetic fields (EMFs), radiofrequency (RF) radiation, and wireless radiation from cell phones, Wi-Fi networks, tablets, and other connected devices, often with no consideration for the potential long-term consequences of continuous exposure. The full health implications of chronic exposure—particularly for developing children—remains largely unknown and requires ongoing in-depth scientific investigation. The stakes are obviously too high to assume that everyday exposure is entirely without risk, and with the widespread and rapidly increasing presence of these exposures, legitimate and critical questions are raised that deserve urgent research and public attention. Children’s developing brains and bodies clearly warrant special consideration, and as such we cannot afford to dismiss unanswered questions. We have a responsibility to investigate potential dangers, demand transparent scientific research, and take warranted precautionary measures to reduce unnecessary exposure and protect the health and future well-being of our most important population: our children.