{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6595","number":"6595","name":"Alex Andreasen","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-28T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-21T04:00Z","body":"\n\n\"...Most recent\nstudies find a positive correlation between RF-EMF and malig-\nnant glial cell tumors (Falcioni et al 2018).This study is unique as\nthe researchers projected a lower SAR over a longer period of\ntime. This suggests that long-term exposure may in fact be the\ncause for concern and not the SAR. If this is the case, it would\nrender todays safety standards useless, as they are based on\nSAR. Another study found that there was an increased risk for\nglioblastoma and acoustic neuroma in heavy cell phone users\n(Hardell et al. 2013). The tumors observed were usually ipsilat-\neral to the preferred side of cell phone use. These results are\nextremely important. Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor on\nthe vestibulocochlear nerve, just inside the inner ear. This is the\nclosest organ to which one holds the cell phone while talking\non the phone. While acoustic neuroma is not malignant, it can\ncause deleterious effects by putting pressure on the brain stem.\nThe mechanisms by which RF-EMF potentially causes cancer are\nunclear. It is highly unlikely that RF-EMFs have enough energy\nin them to significantly heat up brain tissue to the point that\nwould cause denaturing of DNA. It is highly debated whether\nthey have enough energy to break a strand of DNA. However,\neven if there is not enough energy to denature or break strands\nof DNA, there would be enough energy to create ROS which\ncan lead to genetic damage in the long term.\nAnother adverse effect that RF-EMFs can have is on memo-\nry. It has been reported that RF-EMF impair memory, cognitive\nfunction, and learning. Experiments show that rats that have\nbeen exposed to RF-EMFs for four weeks have performed\npoorly on inhibitory avoidance tests. The suggested mechanism\nfor learning and memory impairment is that RF-EMF stimulates\nthe opioidergic system in the amygdala, hippocampus and other\nareas crucial for memory consolidation. This may in turn impair\nthe release of NO, which plays a role in memory consolidation\n(Ahmadi et al. 2018). Despite this, many researchers have not\nfound RF-EMF to impair memory, learning or cognitive function\n(Klose et al. 2014).\nRF-EMF has been blamed for many other conditions that are\nnot associated with the brain, such as hypofertilization and can-\ncers of the eyes and glands. These are extremely broad fields\nand are beyond the scope of this paper. Researchers are of the\nopinion that the mechanism that causes all these ailments is\nlong-term exposure to RF-EMF. However, RF-EMFs do have\nthe energy to potentially create ROS. ROS can be created by\ntransfer of energy from the EM wave to the oxygen molecule\nor the transfer of a free electron. This has been shown to cause\nthe creation of micronuclei (Kesari et. al 2014). A micronucleus\ncontains a chromosome or part of a chromosome that is not in-\ncluded in the daughter nucleus after the nuclear envelope forms\naround the chromosomes during mitosis.This part of DNA that\nhas been left out of the nucleus is enclosed in its own nuclear\n42Aaron Skaist\nenvelope and is attached to the nucleus. Formations of micronu-\nclei have also been associated with DNA double-strand breaks\nthat lead to the incorrect copying of the chromosomes and for-\nmation of the nuclear envelope around them. Micronuclei have\nbeen used as markers for researchers and healthcare providers\nto reveal DNA damage and potential cancerous cells. If these\nmicronuclei are a direct consequence of the EMF, then we can\nsee a definite link between RF-EMF and DNA damage. However,\neven if the mechanism of the formation these micronuclei is\nnot DNA damage, research has shown that the chromosomes\ninside the micronucleus have reduced functioning (Hatch et. al\n2013). Eventually, due to the close proximity of the micronu-\ncleus to the nucleus, the contents of the micronucleus will be\nreleased into the nucleus. This often results in incorporation of\nnon-functional DNA into functional DNA which can cause the\ncell to turn cancerous. Thus, even if the mechanism for micro-\nnuclei formation is not DNA damage, it is almost inevitable that\nthe formation of micronuclei will lead to DNA damage.\nEach of these effects is highly debated amongst researchers.\nIt is not clear whether the cause is the cell-phone or perhaps\nsome other environmental stressor. However, there is over-\nwhelming evidence that cell-phones have a negative effect on\nthe brain of a child.\"\n\nhttps://touroscholar.touro.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1218&context=sjlcas","attachments":[],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6595","tags":["cancer-tumors","child-development","sleep-cognition","biology-metabolism","policy-standards","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"4f66bb34a27587b1ce34fcdaaee2c52aaae650459129a8eba1620e3417c6690f","slug":"cancer-tumors-comment-6595","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6595","body_sha256":"4458279bddc05762fb30f9d660d1335a95fc5cabd5b2a44d77267ffb4284a704","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"cancer","topics":[{"id":"cancer","evidence":"glioblastoma and acoustic neuroma"},{"id":"neurological","evidence":"memory, cognitive\nfunction, and learning"},{"id":"mechanisms","evidence":"ROS which\ncan lead to genetic damage"},{"id":"children","evidence":"brain of a child"},{"id":"research","evidence":"many researchers have not\nfound RF-EMF to impair memory"}],"summary":"The commenter supplies an excerpt discussing tumor findings, cognitive studies, and proposed oxidative-stress and micronucleus mechanisms. The excerpt also acknowledges conflicting results and uncertainty about causation while raising concern about children.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-28T23:54:32Z","review_method":"Full comment-text review with exact source evidence; attachments not reviewed","review_source_sha256":"e5fcc48dbac16d79a16cb3b7f68e326e4eee236e553fe96249042d0167607fd8","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["cancer","neurological","mechanisms","children","research"],"primary_topic":"cancer","forum_title":"The commenter supplies an excerpt discussing tumor findings, cognitive studies, and proposed oxidative-st…"}