Occupational exposure

For me it started right after the 2016 election and I noticed it because I had Wi-Fi setup in my bedroom from AT&T and I started getting nose bleeds in my sleep and really bad headaches and then I started losing weight and having extreme high blood pressure unexplained and I went to the hospital and I went once I would go to the hospital I would be fine and they would say you're fine there's nothing wrong with you but then as soon as I went back to my house with the Wi-Fi it would start up again and so I got rid of it and then I was fine then I moved and I ended up having a roommate and they wanted Wi-Fi and I was like against it at first but then I said okay we'll get Verizon this time same thing happened within a week and a half I started having the symptoms losing weight rapidly blood felt like it was boiling I could feel my pulse in my body so I got rid of it and that was in 2018 and I have never went back to putting Wi-Fi in my house now I do have to deal with it at work and where I worked at and Station Square Pittsburgh for some reason I would feel it at work and I would I would have to walk away and go outside and get some fresh air and when I would look at the Wi-Fi is there were about 15 in the general vicinity right by me like because all the offices going and the restaurants and now that everybody's left because it's about to get torn down we're the only ones left and I don't feel anything there anymore. It's crazy that you guys put this out as a bulletin I thought it was fake news because I was actually going to contact Tulsi gabbard because my AI had told me you should because I felt like this was a maybe a direct energy weapon aimed at me which is crazy to even think of conspiracy theories and all that but you guys were talking about energy weapons and I was politically heavy against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election so much as I think that I was being watched because of my Facebook posts on her page of all her wrongdoings and you know she came out later and said something about how she lost the election because of Alex Jones and his followers who put all kinds of crazy stuff out on her online which was nothing but the truth but that's I'm digressing so that's my story that's when it all started happening before that I never had a problem with Wi-Fi I never noticed it and also I have to say if I have bluetooth headphones on for longer than a half hour I can feel it in my neck my arteries I can feel them getting tight or getting full or slowing down it's something it makes my blood feel like it's sludge when I'm near it. Lately if I do any kind of gaming or if I need to connect to a printer or something I will use mobile hotspot and that doesn't seem to bother me I don't seem to notice it. I do notice it with wearables such as a wristwatch and the Oculus Meta Quest.

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of an individual patient and a concerned member of the public. I started work at a major R&D laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2000, and the institution began roll-out of complete building wireless communications within the next three years. By the year 2006, I had developed severe tinnitus, headaches, dizziness and balance issues. In the years 2006-07 I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma which continued to increase in size until significant treatment was required (a complete course of fractionated stereotactic radiation). This was massively disruptive to me, my family and workplace. This experience significantly and negatively affected my daily life until resolved in 2009. I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.

I am an individual who has been struggling to stay functional due to EMF exposure. I have experienced insomnia, brain fog, and headaches since I was a teenager (about 20 years ago) all the way through my mid-20s and could not figure out why. During my 20s, I don't remember how I came across the topic of EMF hypersensitivity, but after some research and seeing how my symptoms matched, I decided to purchase a Faraday bag for my cell to see if that would help. For the first time my symptoms improved and I could sleep better. I still struggle to function optimally at work since I have to be around people who have their cell on. Whenever I need to speak with someone at work, I would feel a bit disoriented and struggle to communicate clearly. I would stutter and scramble up my words. If I spend more than about 30 minutes on my cell surfing the web or texting, I will experience a headache or brain fog and sluggishness. When I place my cell in a Faraday bag afterwards, the symptoms go away. For awhile, keeping my cell in a Faraday bag has helped me sleep better, but during this past year something has changed because my insomnia returned. I also experience a slight burning sensation on my skin as I'm trying to fall asleep. I really appreciate HHS looking further into this issue as it can be debilitating to some who are hypersensitive to EMFs. Thank you for opening this public comment opportunity.

I am an individual who has been struggling to stay functional due to EMF exposure. I have experienced insomnia, brain fog, and headaches since I was a teenager (about 20 years ago) all the way through my mid-20s and could not figure out why. During my 20s, I don't remember how I came across the topic of EMF hypersensitivity, but after some research and seeing how my symptoms matched, I decided to purchase a Faraday bag for my cell to see if that would help. For the first time my symptoms improved and I could sleep better. I still struggle to function optimally at work since I have to be around people who have their cell on. Whenever I need to speak with someone at work, I would feel a bit disoriented and struggle to communicate clearly. I would stutter and scramble up my words. If I spend more than about 30 minutes on my cell surfing the web or texting, I will experience a headache or brain fog and sluggishness. When I place my cell in a Faraday bag afterwards, the symptoms go away. For awhile, keeping my cell in a Faraday bag has helped me sleep better, but during this past year something has changed because my insomnia returned. I also experience a slight burning sensation on my skin as I'm trying to fall asleep. I really appreciate HHS looking further into this issue as it can be debilitating to some who are hypersensitive to EMFs. Thank you for opening this public comment opportunity.

Dear Department of Health and Human Services Officials, I am writing as the sister of a nurse whose health and life have been profoundly affected by exposure to man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiofrequency radiation (RFR). I have seen the toll these challenges have taken on her and her family. I urge you to take seriously the experiences of people reporting electromagnetic sensitivity and investigate the potential health effects of our increasingly wireless environment. My sister is an RN, BSN, with 19 years of experience in ICU, case management, and integrative wellness. She began to experience health issues after Wi-Fi was introduced in her ICU workplace and nurses were required to wear body-mounted wireless communication devices throughout their shifts. Wireless exposures also increased in her neighborhood around the same time. She began experiencing headaches, burning and ringing ears, head pressure, and a wired/shaky sensation. Her previously mild, intermittent supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) worsened dramatically, and she developed non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). She subsequently developed mast cell activation syndrome. A day spent at a remote state park without cellular service or Wi-Fi brought striking relief from her symptoms. She repeatedly compared how she felt at the park, at work, and at home, and used an RF meter to assess environmental exposures. Sure enough, her symptoms and heart rhythm disturbances were associated with her increased exposure at work and in her neighborhood. Ultimately, she had to leave her in-hospital nursing career to protect her health. As her sister, it has been deeply troubling to see someone with so much medical experience, compassion, and dedication forced to make such life-altering decisions. She and her family made enormous financial sacrifices to find a place where she felt better. They purchased land and downsized to a small, older home near the state park, where they could reduce exposures and obtain an electric utility arrangement permitting smart-meter opt-out. Even with these sacrifices, finding a suitable environment was difficult and expensive. Many Americans simply cannot afford to leave their jobs, relocate, or purchase lower-exposure homes. No one should have to choose between earning a living and protecting their health, or between access to essential services and the ability to reduce exposures they believe are making them ill. Families should not bear the entire financial and personal burden of finding solutions to potential environmental health problems. I urge HHS and lawmakers to take the following actions: Investigate potential health effects. Support rigorous, independent research into non-thermal effects of RFR and extremely low-frequency electric and magnetic fields, including possible cardiac, neurological, oxidative stress, mast-cell-related, and metabolic effects such as insulin resistance. Reassess exposure standards. Review current safety limits in light of the full scientific literature, including research on biological effects beyond tissue heating, cumulative exposures, long-term effects, and vulnerable populations. Protect people in essential environments. Evaluate wireless exposures in hospitals, schools, workplaces, and residential neighborhoods. Provide lower-exposure spaces and practical alternatives for people reporting electromagnetic sensitivity, without requiring them to sacrifice employment, education, or medical care. Protect informed choice. Support reasonable smart-meter opt-out provisions and alternatives to unnecessary wireless technologies, where technically feasible, without undue financial penalties or loss of essential services. Listen to researchers and affected individuals. Invite independent scientists, medical professionals, and people reporting symptoms to testify. Review the BioInitiative Report (https://bioinitiative.org/) and consider inviting its contributing researchers and Andrew Marino, MD, PhD, to discuss research concerning RFR and electric and magnetic fields. I am also concerned about the implications for children and future generations. Wireless technology is increasingly present in schools, hospitals, homes, and public spaces. We need responsible investigation and evidence-based safeguards rather than assuming existing standards address every possible risk. I recognize that my sister's experience alone cannot establish scientific causation. However, her experience deserves serious consideration alongside the broader scientific literature. People reporting these symptoms deserve compassion, appropriate medical evaluation, research, and environments safe for their health. Please use your authority to ensure HHS thoroughly investigates these concerns, supports independent research, and develops evidence-based policies that protect public health without placing the burden of exposure avoidance solely on affected individuals and their families. Thank you

I am Sarah Starr. My work includes space-weather forecasting, astrology, consciousness education, and exploration of non-human intelligence. I urge HHS to include space weather in its investigation of electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency radiation, wireless exposure, and human health. We cannot fully understand the electromagnetic environment people encounter by studying phones, towers, and electronics alone. Natural conditions belong in that investigation too. I want HHS to connect observations of solar activity and geomagnetic disturbances with exposure measurements, health research, and public-health preparedness. Space weather changes Earth's electromagnetic environment. Solar storms affect the magnetosphere and ionosphere, altering currents, fields, and the propagation of radio signals. They can disrupt communications, navigation, satellites, and power systems. These hazards affect public health, emergency response, and national security. Our reliance on technology makes understanding those consequences essential. Wireless infrastructure, personal devices, and high-power transmitters such as HAARP should receive independent exposure assessment. Each source has its own operating characteristics. I ask HHS to investigate the natural conditions surrounding these systems and the people who use them. Measure what happens during both quiet periods and space-weather events, rather than assuming that one set of conditions represents every situation. I am interested in changes in Earth's magnetic field and the wider reach of auroral displays during strong storms. Regional magnetic weakening, strengthening elsewhere, and unusually southern auroras are reasons to examine local conditions. They should prompt coordinated measurements of fields, particles, and radiation, rather than a single assumption about exposure everywhere. Natural radiation also deserves attention. Solar energetic particles, cosmic radiation, and gamma rays from atmospheric events involve different sources and exposure pathways. Ground-level particle detections and observed thunderstorm gamma-ray bursts show why research should capture brief events as well as averages. Establishing their relevance to people requires measuring location, altitude, shielding, energy, and duration. These distinctions make an investigation more useful: they identify the hazard and the protection it requires. My request is to study these conditions together without treating every form of radiation as interchangeable. A disrupted radio signal is different from an increased dose to a person. A change in the magnetic field is different from gamma exposure. We need measurements that establish those connections where they exist and distinguish them where they do not. The health questions deserve sustained attention. Published research has reported associations between geomagnetic activity and cardiovascular measures or mortality. I want independent studies to determine whether these findings hold across populations, what mechanisms explain them, and whether simultaneous wireless exposure changes the outcomes. Include sleep, cognition, mood, and prospectively reported symptoms alongside measurements. My interests also include consciousness and changes in human experience. I want these concerns approached respectfully and investigated through defined neural, cognitive, and subjective outcomes. Laboratory findings of brain responses to magnetic-field changes offer specific questions for replication. They should lead to careful investigation of human sensitivity, rather than assumptions about what every reported experience means. Wildlife and ecosystems belong in this discussion. Research on magnetic navigation and electromagnetic interference gives us reasons to examine orientation, migration, and other functions organisms depend on. Study realistic exposures and determine whether observed changes affect survival, reproduction, or ecological health. I ask HHS to coordinate with NOAA, NASA, USGS, FAA, FCC, and me. Support studies across multiple locations that pair environmental records and personal RF monitoring with standardized health measures. Account for weather, pollution, sleep, medications, and expectations. Include appropriate studies of children, pregnant people, older adults, implant users, and exposed workers. Publish methods, uncertainty, and null findings as openly as positive results. Preparedness must accompany research. Evaluate how power failures, communications disruption, and interrupted medical care affect communities, and people who depend on electricity for treatment. These indirect pathways deserve attention alongside direct biological questions. My attached paper explains the evidence I reviewed and proposes a coordinated research program. I ask HHS to give space weather an explicit, sustained place in its research agenda and to examine the connections that separate monitoring programs can miss. Sarah Starr

Re-evaluate exposure standards beyond simple thermal heating limits ​The Issue: Current federal guidelines (primarily based on FCC limits established in 1996) focus almost exclusively on preventing immediate thermal tissue heating (the Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR limit) over short timeframes. ​The Recommendation: HHS should urge inter-agency coordination (with the FDA, CDC, and FCC) to evaluate non-thermal, long-term biological pathways. Current research demonstrates that fields far weaker than those required to heat tissue can induce cellular responses, primarily through: ​Oxidative stress and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation, which can indirectly compromise cellular repair pathways and intracellular signaling over time. ​Disruption of cellular calcium homeostasis, affecting membrane dynamics and cellular stress protocols. ​2. Address cumulative, multi-source exposure in real-world environments ​The Issue: Safety thresholds are currently tested on individual devices in isolation (e.g., testing a single smartphone near a model head). ​The Recommendation: HHS should fund public health surveillance and exposure modeling that reflects modern, real-world conditions. Modern environments involve concurrent, continuous exposures from multiple sources—including Wi-Fi networks, smart meters, cellular networks, wearables, and spatial transmission antennas—operating simultaneously over decades. ​3. Establish specialized protective frameworks for vulnerable populations ​The Issue: Uniform safety thresholds assume a standardized adult physiology and do not account for biological variability across demographics. ​The Recommendation: Regulatory guidelines should implement explicit safety margins for sensitive populations: ​Children and Adolescents: Thinner skull bones, higher water content in biological tissue, and developing nervous systems lead to deeper relative RF energy penetration. ​Occupational Workers: Individuals with prolonged high-density field exposures in specific industries or environments. ​Medical Device Users: Individuals with implanted cardiac or neurological electronics sensitive to external field interference. ​4. Clear scientific terminology and clear public communication ​The Issue: The term "radiation" often creates confusion between high-energy ionizing radiation (such as X-rays or nuclear fallout, which cause direct DNA strand breaks) and low-energy non-ionizing radiation (such as RF/EMF, which operate through indirect biophysical mechanisms). Public guidance is often either overly alarmist or dismissively vague. ​The Recommendation: HHS should establish clear, transparent public health communication based on precautionary principles: ​Clearly distinguish between ionizing damage and non-thermal cellular stress mechanisms. ​Provide practical, low-cost "exposure hygiene" guidance (e.g., hardwiring home networks, keeping transmitting devices at a distance from the body during sleep, using speakerphones) so citizens can reduce unnecessary chronic exposure without unnecessary panic. ​5. Prioritize independent, human-relevant research initiatives ​The Issue: Much of the existing literature relies on either high-dose animal studies (e.g., the National Toxicology Program study) or in-vitro petri dish models that do not translate directly to human systemic biology. ​The Recommendation: HHS should direct federal research funding toward: ​Longitudinal epidemiology tracking health outcomes in populations with measured (rather than self-reported) exposure data. ​Biomarker discovery to identify whether specific individuals possess heightened biological sensitivity to non-thermal fields.

We have our entire home hardwired to avoid wifi. I am very sensitive to EMF's. I get bad headaches, severe ear ringing, insomnia, a bad feeling in my head, and my eyes will hurt when exposed to this radiation. I have had problems with cellphones. My hand, wrist, and arm will become numb when using my cellphone. I bought a new Samsung S25 cellphone about 2 yrs ago and had to return it due to severe effects from this cellphone. I developed breast cancer when I worked at a hospital with many cells on their roof. Many nurses got cancer working there. I also became very ill when visiting Las Vegas and walking the street with the 5G small cells on every corner. I developed a severe headache and nose bleed from this. My father got very sick when a cell tower was installed close to his senior apartment building. He developed lymphocytic leukemia, severe insomnia, and horrible headaches from this radiation. The readings were sky high on my EMF meter when I took a reading in his apartment. Please regulate cellphones as my EMF meter registers high readings from my husband's and my cellphone. We havea cell tower 1 mile from our home. I cannot walk near there without bad symptoms.

Dear Officials, I am writing to submit my personal testimony regarding the adverse health effects I have experienced, which I believe are closely associated with prolonged radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure and urban electromagnetic field (EMF) environments. Part 1: Occupational Exposure and Neurological Symptoms For approximately 5 years, I worked in a medical office where my duties required me to hold a cordless phone to my ear for 3 to 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. Due to strict patient privacy regulations, I could not use the speakerphone function. During this period, I began suffering from severe, debilitating migraines, occurring 1 to 2 times per month. The pain consistently originated from the area just above my right ear and irradiated across the trigeminal, orbital, temporomandibular, and cervical regions. The pain felt as though it emanated from either the area above the ear or from the top-central part of my head. It was strictly unilateral (affecting only the right side). These episodes were accompanied by intense "electric shock" sensations that spread across my entire cervical fascia, lasting for about 4 days. During these crises, the pain caused severe gastric distress, making it impossible to eat or move. Relief was only achieved by lying in a completely dark and silent room, pressing the affected eye against a warm pillow. Mild massages or heat applied to the top of my head provided slight, a temporary light comfort. In terms of medical management, paracetamol offered minor relief only after 5 to 6 hours, without resolving the electric shock sensations. Conversely, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), specifically nimesulide, consistently alleviated the pain and the electric shocks within 20 to 30 minutes. Part 2: Cessation of Exposure and Symptom Resolution After approximately 7 years, I left that employment, which completely terminated my daily, prolonged use of the telephone. While I maintain a mobile phone, I strictly avoid placing it near my head. I rarely make calls, and when necessary, I use a tubeless airtube headset or utilize the speakerphone function, keeping the device at a distance of at least 50 to 60 centimeters. Within 12 months of terminating that occupation and changing my wireless habits, the severe migraines began to subside significantly. I do not take other medications, I do not smoke, and I maintain a very balanced, healthy diet and a calm lifestyle. Through careful observation, I have ruled out other potential lifestyle or medical variables. Part 3: Environmental Sensitivity and Urban Re-exposure Over the past 15 years, I have observed a consistent, repeating pattern regarding my environment. Every August, I reside in a secluded coastal and mountainous area characterized by a very low density of routers, low vehicular traffic, GPS tracker, and low population density. In this environment, my physical health completely regenerates, and I experience high levels of physical energy. However, upon returning to the large city where I currently reside, I experience an immediate and severe physical decline from the very first day. The sensation is described as a persistent, distressing "burning" feeling in the brain, accompanied by a constant state of neurological tension, alert, and over-stimulation that prevents any real rest. This systemic stress causes gastric burning and profound fatigue, rendering me unable to perform simple daily tasks. Upon my return to the city this year, I suffered a continuous 9-day migraine crisis. My systematic observations over fifteen years confirm that a isolated, low-EMF environment restores my health, whereas the high-density urban environment consistently causes exhaustion and severe pain. I urge federal health and communications agencies to thoroughly investigate the biological mechanisms underlying these exposure patterns, to acknowledge the reality of environmental sensitivities, and to implement protective standards, particularly regarding long-term occupational exposure and CEM/radiation density. Sincerely.

I am an electric engineer that visits high EMF areas regularly for work. Most of the sites have signage that states “radio frequency hazard” or similar warnings. I believe the excess exposure may have lead to cognitive issues, and possibly had an effect on my immune and nervous systems.