Wi-Fi & indoor exposure

I am submitting this comment to share my personal experience with severe neurological symptoms and debilitating sleep disturbances that I consistently experience in environments with wireless radiofrequency (RF) exposure, particularly near cellular antennas, Wi-Fi routers, and wireless devices. My symptoms are severe, disabling, and have dramatically affected my quality of life. When I am near cellular antennas, I experience intense vertigo, dizziness, and a sensation of movement inside my head, almost as though I am on a rocking boat. I describe it as feeling waves moving through my head, even when I am completely still. However, the most devastating symptom is my inability to sleep. When I am in an environment with elevated RF exposure, particularly near cellular antennas, my brain feels as though it cannot shut down. It is an overwhelming sensation of neurological overstimulation. My mind remains constantly active, even when I am physically exhausted and desperately trying to sleep. The best way I can describe it is as if someone were waking me up millions of times per second, preventing my brain from ever transitioning into restorative sleep. It feels like my brain is trapped in a continuous state of alertness, unable to disengage or rest. This is not simply ordinary insomnia or racing thoughts. It is an intense physical sensation that I experience in certain environments, accompanied by dizziness, internal vibrations, and an inability to achieve sustained sleep. Cellular antennas appear to trigger my most severe reactions, although I also experience symptoms around Wi-Fi routers, wireless phones, and other RF-emitting devices. The severity of these episodes can be extreme. I can spend an entire night unable to sleep, despite being completely exhausted. This has profoundly affected my ability to function, work, recover physically, and live a normal life. I have become so debilitated by these experiences that, without the ability to work remotely, I do not know how I would have maintained employment. I understand that the scientific understanding of RF/EMF exposure and its potential health effects continues to evolve. I am not claiming that my personal experience alone establishes causation. However, the consistency and severity of my symptoms in environments where I perceive higher exposure deserve serious scientific investigation rather than dismissal. I respectfully urge HHS to prioritize research into: 1. The potential relationship between chronic RF exposure and severe sleep disturbances, including repeated nighttime awakenings and disrupted sleep architecture. 2. Neurological symptoms such as vertigo, disequilibrium, internal vibration sensations, and perceived neurological overstimulation. 3. Individual differences in reported sensitivity to RF/EMF exposure, including people who experience disabling symptoms at exposure levels currently considered compliant with safety standards. 4. The potential effects of nighttime exposure from cellular infrastructure, Wi-Fi, and wireless devices on sleep and neurological functioning. 5. Objective, independently conducted studies that investigate these symptoms using exposure measurements, sleep monitoring, and neurological assessments. I also urge HHS to consider the experiences of individuals whose symptoms are so severe that they struggle to remain in their homes, sleep normally, or maintain employment. Sleep is a fundamental biological necessity. When a person cannot sleep night after night, the consequences can be devastating. My experience has changed my entire life. I am asking HHS to take these reports seriously, investigate them rigorously, and ensure that people experiencing debilitating symptoms are included in future research and public health discussions. Thank you for considering my testimony.

Very sensitive to WiFi/cell. Started by getting welts and torso skin burning when I used my phone after getting Nest doorbell and thermostat. I was unable to sleep for years, body visibly twitches. I didn't get any sleep signal so I was awake mobilized with heart racing all night. My melatonin release was suppressed and my nervous system was being stimulated. Always slept ok away from the city. Bought emf meter and it's around 1-3V in the home even with modem off. Bought a silver thread shielding canopy to sleep in, instant good sleep from night one! In 2023 though I injured my hip area, what should have healed in 4 weeks is still an issue 3 years later. In my home, at work and/or when an event comes to town (a fair or boat show etc), or in certain stores/places my muscles seize up randomly and violently, much worse at the site of injury. Any injury site has inflammation which I was told is a lighting rod for emf, and mast cells degranulate faster etc. I can go from unable to walk at all in a store, body all stiff and locked up, drive half hour away and walk in the canyons for hours or swim in a lake without issue. Then come back home and be unable to walk again. I started wearing a shielding hoodie all day long, with hood up, and it attenuates the response considerably and almost instantly. But it's embarrassing to have to wear. Recently many new cells (small and medium plus 2 large towers) have gone up a few blocks from my home. When events are on I can tell because my skin starts crawling, itching, burning, the hoodie isn't enough to block all the extra. I need to leave home during those times, go into the canyons, and then I'm fine. It's bizarre, and also crippling and expensive, and unsustainable.

I am a telecommunication engineering graduate and my comments are to be considered as an independent individual contributor. I experience ear buzzing, headaches and sometimes skin itch in the presence of EMF equipment such as WiFi routers and mobile phone base stations. To create exposure standards and risk assessment (questions 5. o. and 5.p) methods, several aspects need to be considered: - EMF intensity, variety and duration of exposure; - realistic testing use cases: a SAR measured in a lab might be different from an effective SAR of a phone placing a call from a driving car for example; - environmental base levels of EMF radiations: being in an urban, EMF rich environment after a week of camping is completely different than being in such environment contantly; - mental well being and psychological consequences related to the constant exposure to EMF and associated technologies; phenomena such as "fear of missing out", "feeling overwhelmed by work all the time"... - Federal research priorities (Q16): - how do EMF impact the bioenergetic field of the human body of sick and healthy patients; - what are effective and efficient shielding strategies for sensitive buildings and individuals; e.g. clothing, paints, Faraday cages - the right to be offline and the right to slow down technological use;

Dear HHS Leadership, Thank you for seeking public input on the biological and health impacts of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), including 5G, Wi-Fi, and personal wireless devices. As technology density grows in homes and schools, federal guidelines must urgently account for the heightened biological vulnerability of children. We request that HHS incorporate the following science-based protections into its safety evaluation and public guidance: Child-Specific Absorption Modeling: Current federal guidelines are based on adult male anatomical models. Research demonstrates that children—due to thinner skulls, smaller head dimensions, and higher tissue water content—absorb up to twice as much RF radiation into their brain tissue and up to ten times as much into bone marrow compared to adults. Impacts on Developing Neural and Cellular Systems: Review peer-reviewed evidence showing that non-thermal RF exposure can induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered intracellular signaling in rapidly dividing, developing tissues. Public Warnings and Device Labelling: Issue clear public health warnings regarding cell phones and wireless devices. Recommend practical limits, such as keeping devices away from the body during transmission, using speakerphone, and avoiding cell phone use directly against a child's head. School and Childcare Environment Limits: Establish guidelines for educational settings, including favoring wired ethernet over Wi-Fi in early childhood centers, turning off Wi-Fi routers when not in active use, and restricting small-cell deployment directly adjacent to school grounds. We urge HHS to align U.S. policy with international precautionary standards and provide clear, actionable guidance to protect developing children. Sincerely, Abigail Crowe

All utility companies should be required to offer analog equipment option instead of forcing consumers to live with smart meters. A process should be prominently displayed on their websites. I am also concerned about the health implications of WiFi and towers situated near schools, housing, businesses, parks.

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 as a parent in Brevard County, Florida. My daughter began having severe migraines at age 9, during the COVID-19 lockdowns. When her school moved to remote instruction, she spent most of every day streaming online classes, working on a school laptop for hours at a time. During that period the migraines began and quickly became frequent and debilitating. For the past six years she has continued to struggle with these migraines, and adapting her environment to her sensitivities has become progressively more difficult. Her physician has diagnosed her with electromagnetic hypersensitivity. She cannot be near Wi-Fi routers at school, and she develops headaches in classrooms where laptops are in widespread use. This has affected her education, her ability to participate fully in ordinary school settings, and our family's daily life, as we continually work to find environments where she can learn without pain. Children today are exposed to wireless devices and networks for much of the school day, and remote and device-based instruction has made that exposure longer and more constant than in any prior generation. Families like ours have few places to turn for guidance, and schools have no federal framework for accommodating students who report these symptoms. 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. I also ask HHS to consider guidance for schools on accommodating students who report symptoms associated with wireless exposure. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.

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]. HHS should address this issue because it affects the health and safety of the majority of people. Just because you can see something doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. My 4 children struggle with attention, headaches, sleep problems - and most recently two of my children have been getting dizzy spells. I have two other children who go to school – and because of poor reception – the school wants to build a cell tower right on the property. It will be much healthier for the children to have limited Wi-Fi access at school rather than have a cell phone tower built right near the athletic field. 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 highly reactive to all forms of EMFs: cell phones, routers, satellite dishes, 5G towers, and more. It wasn't as bad with 4G, but once 5G came out, my world has shrunk. I can no longer travel anywhere. I have missed funerals and weddings of very close family. Exposure to EMFs gives me awful migraines within minutes of exposure to these sources, which can last up to 3 days. It is sooo hard finding a doctor in my area because most doctors are next to 5G towers and antennas. It is so frustrating. I have to drive extra miles to find a doctor who is far enough away from a 5G tower. My daughter is also sensitive, and I have one friend who is also sensitive to EMFs - it gives her tinnitus. I have another friend that has other awful symptoms as well. STOP THESE THINGS!!! And get them away from doctors' areas. Create Wi-Fi-free areas just like they have in Europe, for sensitive people like me. Europe acknowledges that this is an issue. And in certain countries, they create areas where there are no electric fields.

Given my exposure to wifi I've aged 10 years over the last decade.

Wifi Router next to my bed for years no warnings