Research & federal duties

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 a [patient, parent, family member, caregiver, healthcare professional, researcher, advocate, concerned member of the public, or other]. 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 overjoyed to see this forum, as well as the mycology / fungal awareness talk that was recently held by this administration. I am sorry to hear that RFK Jr’s son was affected by mold growth. I was a healthy active contributing member of society until I developed CIRS, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, while working and living in moldy buildings for several years. When we found out it was mold & mycotoxins (from water-damaged buildings = WDB) we were shocked, as I did not learn this was even a possibility in medical school. We were only taught severely immunocompromised individuals were susceptible to mold illness (unless it was an allergy) This simply isn’t true. I was not immunocompromised, nor was I on steroids or any other meds that affect the immune system. I am also not allergic to mold. Yet I became so ill that I had anaphylaxis, and a multitude of other issues, and I am still fighting for my life almost 10 years later. What I want to see studied is the effects of EMFs, WiFi, 5G… on the growth (possible rapid growth increase) of mold in WDB. This must be evaluated due to the recent explosion in CIRS cases, in addition to what usually follows CIRS: MCAS, dysautonomia/POTS and other conditions that are all very difficult to diagnose & treat and are devastating to patients & families! I thank you for this work & wish you Godspeed, as I see people every day with CIRS & MCAS who are questioning staying alive due to the severity of their symptoms. As a former health care professional this is heartbreaking and there is so much to research about why there is so much more mold & so many CIRS patients when compared to just 5 years ago. Many think it is merely awareness about EMFs etc., but I have been near towers & in buildings where I can feel my neurological symptoms heightening as I go in the building. This is so devastating to people just trying to heal in a clean environment. I know as I’ve been working on that for many years now. I hope this research is within the scope of this department, as the research out there now about EMFs etc. affecting mold growth is conflicting & thus not very helpful to determine if that’s part of why mold is accelerating in its growth in homes with water damage. Thank you for this opportunity.

This study below shows that 3.5 GHz radiation triggers nerve cell death through non-thermal biological mechanisms. Bektas H, Seker A, Ustun R, Dogu S (2026). Neurotoxic effects of 3.5 GHz GSM-like RF exposure on cultured DRG neurons: a mechanistic insight into oxidative and apoptotic pathways. AntennaSearch.com, as of 8/9/2026 shows 107 cell towers and 254 antennas within a 3-mile radius of my house. In the last four years, as this radiation has increased, my fruit trees have sickened and died in numbers not previously known; and my personal inflammation level with its spreading/intensifying pain (along with increasing muscle weakness) has skyrocketed, making walking laborious. I have ceased to be more healthy than my age average, but now am 8-10 years behind the average health of my age group. Five days ago, I installed the first phase of an EMF mitigation system (EarthCalm), and my inflammation and pain has now lessened noticeably and some muscle strength has returned. Radiation has also prevented or greatly slowed my ability to combat infection, as well as hampering my body's ability to detoxify. EMF is damaging not just humans but our pollinating insects, plants, and animals as well. Fungus has been found to grow 600 times more quantity in EMF than in non-EMF circumstances. EMF and RF radiation is markedly harmful in ways not currently acknowledged by the industry. We should not be subjecting ourselves or our environment to this radiation!

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Re: Public Comment on Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure Docket No.: HHS-OASH-2026-0397 To Whom It May Concern: I am sharing my experience as HHS considers whether research and federal safety standards adequately address exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), radiofrequency (RF) radiation, and wireless technologies. In 2015, at age 33, I began experiencing blurred vision. I suspected my LASIK surgery from three years earlier might be reverting. I scheduled an appointment with Dr. J. James Rowsey, a pioneering refractive surgeon at St. Michael's Eye and Laser Institute in Largo, Florida. Dr. Rowsey helped develop laser treatments for myopia beginning in 1988 and previously chaired Ophthalmology at the University of South Florida. Following examinations, including a visual field test, he suspected a brain lesion. An MRI confirmed a pituitary tumor pressing against my optic nerve and causing blurred vision. Dr. Rowsey referred me to neurosurgeon Dr. Carrie Shulman, who trained at Walter Reed Medical Center, served as a U.S. Army neurosurgeon, and was Neurosurgical Director during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her experience gave me confidence before surgery. During an office visit before my transsphenoidal endoscopic resection of the tumor, I asked Dr. Shulman whether she had any theories about its cause. Medical literature indicated that the causes of pituitary tumors were largely unknown, although some research suggested approximately 10% of the population might have them, often without symptoms. Dr. Shulman's response has stayed with me for more than a decade. She believed the next ten years would bring greater awareness of the potential health effects of cellphone radiation, comparing it to the evolving understanding of cigarette smoking and its consequences. She explained that cellphones emit RF radiation and expressed her personal belief that exposure could contribute to tumor development. She also shared her precautions: never holding a cellphone against her head during conversations, avoiding wireless earbuds, and keeping her phone in another room while sleeping. In the years that followed, as Dr. Shulman predicted in 2015, several studies raised questions about the potential carcinogenic effects of RF radiation. These included the U.S. National Toxicology Program's Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies in Rats Exposed to Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation (2018); Falcioni et al.'s Report of Final Results Regarding Brain and Heart Tumors (Ramazzini Institute, 2018); Carlberg and Hardell's Evaluation of Mobile Phone and Cordless Phone Use and Glioma Risk (2017); Choi et al.'s Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (UC Berkeley collaboration, 2020); and Mevissen et al.'s Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure on Cancer in Laboratory Animal Studies: A Systematic Review (2025). Notably, the 2018 NTP study reported increased pituitary adenomas in some RF-exposed male rats. Though classified as equivocal evidence, it still warrants further investigation. In 2017, the California Department of Public Health issued guidance acknowledging that studies raised concerns about possible links between long-term cellphone RF radiation exposure and certain cancers and other health effects. It recommended precautions to reduce exposure. Additionally, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) in 2011. Cellphone technology has benefited society over the past 30 years, transforming communication, business, information access, and emergency response. These benefits should not prevent investigation of potential long-term health consequences. I believe telecommunications companies and cellphone manufacturers should take a more proactive role in addressing potential health risks through independent research, technologies that minimize unnecessary RF exposure, and clear consumer information about possible risks and precautions. Through God's grace and the God-given skills of physicians like Dr. Rowsey and Dr. Shulman, I am here today to share my experience. Eleven years after surgery, I am thankful to report no recurrence of my pituitary tumor since 2019—seven years of encouraging post-op results. I respectfully encourage HHS to investigate long-term RF exposure, potential cancer risks, and effects on children and vulnerable populations, while examining whether existing safety standards and consumer disclosures adequately reflect these potential risks. Thank you for considering my experience. I sincerely hope it contributes to a better understanding of RF exposure and helps protect the health and well-being of the American public. Respectfully, Rich Fernley

Solar panels/Dirty Electricity/EMF affect your health, especially those who are immunocompromised. After having solar panels installed, I noticed a diabetic family member have exacerbated side effects, going from mild to extreme, so I did some research to further the connection. Indeed, there was a study for every side effect she was experiencing. This study shows how dirty electricity effects the ability to control blood sugar, putting oxidative stress on the body, affecting mood, vision, uti infections, skin infections, chronic fatigue, etc. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in both the development and progression of diabetes. Doctors recommend exercise for patients with diabetes. However, if that exercise is done in an electromagnetically dirty environment (*under solar panels*), and if the patient is sensitive to this form of energy, it may increase stress on the body and elevate levels of plasma glucose, as in Case 2. The increasing exposure and ubiquitous nature of electromagnetic pollution may be contributing to the increasing incidence of this disease and the escalating cost of medical care. Diagnosis of diabetes needs to be done in an electromagnetically clean environment to prevent misdiagnosis, and to properly assess the severity of this disorder. Most medical centers have electronic equipment and use fluorescent lights that produce dirty electricity, which is likely to cause abnormally high blood sugar readings for those with a combination of diabetes and electrohypersensitivity (Type 3 diabetes). Dirty electricity may also explain why brittle diabetics have difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2557071/ Several disorders, including asthma, ADD/ADHD, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, are increasing at an alarming rate, as is electromagnetic pollution in the form of dirty electricity, ground current, and radio frequency radiation from wireless devices. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17178585/ https://publish.kne-publishing.com/index.php/JEHSD/article/download/17386/16187/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387505304_The_Impact_of_Electromagnetic_Field_Exposure_on_Diabetes_A_Narrative_Review https://www.jidmr.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/69-M22_1779_Hava_BEKTAS%CC%A7_Turkiye.pdf https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09553002.2018.1490039 Not only are there adverse health effects, solar panels contain toxic substances that require them to be disposed of as hazardous waste, paid for by homeowner. In the event of crack or break, toxic substances may leak onto roof and ground. Solar panels also harbor mold, damaging roof, which could potentially infest attics resulting in costly mold remediation and new roof.

I have been sensitive to EMF and computers for as long as I have been using them, 35 years. I am especially sensitive to Bluetooth and get headaches and my ability to concentrate and think clearly is disturbed when Bluetooth is in use near me. I am concerned about cell towers being close to homes and I feel smart meters should not be on homes as many people have very adverse effects from them. We pay a fee for the privilege of not having any smart meters in our home, what an unjust situation. I feel uncomfortable when I am near a parking lot where many electric cars are charging. I am deeply concerned that data centers, with their concentration of emf and radiation will prove very unhealthy in our communities. I have had iPhones, iPads, and computers for 35 years and find that with each new device, the negative effect of their emfs and radiation is quite increased. My clarity and healthfulness feels diminished after using these devices. I realize many people do not feel this, and that I am more sensitive in perception than most, however that does not mean that everyone isn’t being negatively effected, they simply may not perceive the effect. Research on the effect of emf, smart meters, cell towers, computers, cell phones and cordless phones must be seriously undertaken with regulatory action taken if manufacturers do not self regulate. Additionally the logarithms used in designing social media has a deeply weakening effect on individuals and especially children.

QUESTION 2: PERSPECTIVE – I am a family member who has observed and helped manage my mother’s symptoms due to EMF since 1998. I also hold a PhD in conservation biology, which allows me to approach my mother’s illness from a scientific perspective. QUESTION 3: EXPERIENCE – My 87-year-old mother has experienced numerous symptoms since 1998, one of the first people to experience severe symptoms due to EMF starting in her 50s. It primarily affects her nervous system (asthma and jitters at best, physiological-based panic attack at worst) and mental acuity (brain fog, aphasia, “swiss cheese” memory). We know in part that her symptoms are due to EMF because, for example, she will be feeling fine and then start to experience jitters after a few moments of someone walking into a room – not knowing that they were wearing a smart watch but feeling the effects of the RF. At other times, she will start to feel a wave of pressure in her head -- when I measure the magnetic field next to her, I will find it at 2.0-5.0 (which is too high for her nervous system), and her symptoms will subside when the magnetic wave subsides. We have been to numerous doctors and health practitioners over the years in search for an answer. Very little is to be found – most MDs are unaware of the condition, and alternative practitioners are limited in the type of testing they can undertake. Despite this, she found that GABAPENTIN alleviated many of her symptoms over the years, and she is much better now than she was 30 years ago. However, gabapentin comes with its own detrimental effects, and has impacted her in other ways long term. I have also undertaken extensive home environment analyses with various building biologists and EMF experts across the country, and have become very facile both with meter measuring (all fields: electric, magnetic, and RF) and doing home mitigations with grounding and shielding materials for RF, magnetic currents, electric currents, and dirty electricity. The impact on the daily life for our family has been enormous and immeasurable. We live in a metropolis and moving to the countryside where there is less EMF is not an option. So, for example, my mother sleeps in the living room because every other room has too much EMF for her. I did not carry a cell phone until 2017, and cannot use my cell phone or laptop when in the same room with her (which has a huge impact on my work life). The location of cell phone towers, 5G corridors, and underground water that carries magnetic currents are all dictating where and how my husband and I can purchase a house. The list is lengthy on how every aspect of life is being determined by EMF and the lack of medical expertise or solutions. Her life and mine have been a long, challenging, and arduous road since there is little information or support for those who are EHS (electrohypersensitive). QUESTION 16: FEDERAL RESEARCH PRIORITIES - I am certain other commenters have provided more details on the technical aspects of home measurements and mitigations, as well as medical advances. I will add here the following: 1) My observation is that people who are immunocompromised or have a more sensitive constitution will be more sensitive to EMF and RF. There are also genetic factors that could predispose someone to being EMF sensitive. This is a huge research gap and opportunity given the current and swift advances in clinical genetics. 2) US medicine is still catching up to what is a very modern ailment, given the proliferation of computer and wireless technologies with little thought given to adverse health effects. EUROPE has better intel, research, and public health protections on EMF and RF than the US, and should be looked to more closely and seriously. 3) Social support is greatly lacking for EHS people. This is a sad, ignorant, and unjust state of affairs for a growing demographic that needs all the support and understanding it can get.

First, we don't need more research and studies. The scientific community already has more than 20,000 studies. This is an established science. We have more than enough studies to put in place much stronger regulations and bans. Scientists for Wired Technology (scientists4wiredtech.com) is an excellent in-depth scientific knowledge base on the hazards of continuous exposures to pulsed, data-modulated, Radio-frequency Electromagnetic Microwave Radiation (RF-EMR), which is a manmade, toxic, highly xenobiotic agent that causes systemic biological damages at levels many thousands of times lower than current U.S. RF-EMR radiation exposure guidelines. See especially "The Largest Unethical Human Experiment In Human History" on that website. The FCC is not a health and environmental agency. So why has it been in charge of defining what is acceptable for humans and other living beings? We need scientific standards (set in collaboration with ANSI and public health experts) based on the solid knowledge gained for the past 70 years, --not mere guidelines -- let alone outdated ones from 1996, which were rubberstamped for their 1965 version or even as old as 1953!? We also know what microwave sickness looks like and why this RF-EMR technology is so suitable for use by the military as a weapon. The mere fact that wired technology is faster (has the speed of light), much more energy-efficient, secure (not hackable like wireless), much longer lasting (30-50 years vs. 5-6 years for wireless), safer, provides more privacy, does not depress home values, AND has already been subsidized to the tune of billions of US tax payer dollars (Irregulators vs. FCC) -- should be sufficient to immediately stop the wireless and 5G buildup, set scientific standards, and ask the telecom industry to fulfill their paid obligation and complete the wiring with copper and fiber optic cable networks to provide real and safe broadband to every community in the country, especially including the last half-mile or so from the street into homes. What is the justification for choosing the slower, energy guzzling, unsafe, hackable, privacy invading, wasteful (think of all the additional junk generated with each upgrade of wireless technology every few years), and posing a fire risk (as with smart meters) to boot -- over its opposite? What is "green" about this technology?

See attached file(s)I urge the responsible authorities to review the regulations concerning limits on non-ionizing radiation emissions, given the potential biological effects—effects that are documented in hundreds of thousands of scientific papers and are becoming increasingly apparent. I have experienced electrosensitivity since 2020; although I was initially unaware of the cause, I have been fully conscious of this issue since 2024. I currently study the subject and coordinate a group of over 100 Brazilians who are electrosensitive, experiencing a range of symptoms from mild to very severe. This is a real problem that requires in-depth study; however, there is already sufficient evidence to warrant lowering these limits, revising the regulations, and providing protection for the most sensitive and susceptible individuals—such as children, the elderly, and women, especially those with pre-existing health conditions.

Summary of Public Comment — HHS Docket HHS-OASH-2026-0397 I am submitting this comment as an individual citizen concerned about potential health effects associated with electromagnetic fields (EMFs), radiofrequency (RF) radiation, and wireless technologies, as well as the lack of accessible resources for people seeking to investigate possible environmental health concerns. I have experienced what I describe as Havana Syndrome–like effects on an everyday basis since the spring of 2014. These persistent experiences have presented challenges in carrying out my work in the energy sector. I am seeking appropriate medical evaluation and objective environmental exposure testing, without asking HHS to presume a particular cause. I respectfully urge the Department of Health and Human Services to consider the needs of civilians who report persistent, unexplained health concerns but may lack access to specialized medical providers, independent exposure assessments, or research programs. My recommendations include affordable and independent environmental exposure testing; clear, accessible information about exposure measurements and their limitations; evidence-based clinical guidance; privacy-protective public-health reporting; independent long-term research; opportunities for civilian participation in research; and equitable access to evaluation regardless of employment status, income, or whether a formal diagnosis has been established. A suspected association between an environmental exposure and a health concern does not establish causation. However, uncertainty should not prevent people from seeking appropriate medical assessment or obtaining reliable information about their environment. I ask HHS to consider these access and assessment barriers when evaluating RF/EMF exposure, setting federal research priorities, and developing future public-health recommendations. My full statement is included as an attachment and provides additional detail and recommendations. Thank you for considering my comments.