{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-1588","number":"1588","name":"ERIN GUBELMAN","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-05T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-05T04:00Z","body":"I am writing this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure.\n\nI am responding from the perspective of a parent, long time educator and concerned member of the public.  Ever since my son was born twenty eight years ago, I have been concerned by the increasing exposure of children, as well as wildlife, to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell phones, particularly.  As a biologist, I am aware that the effects of this radiation are subtle and chronic for most people though more acute for some.  They can interfere with our bodies on a cellular level, impacting the electrostatic fields created by our bodies and cell functioning.  Some studies have found that EMF radiation can interfere with the calcium channels in cells. These play an important role in nerve and muscle function (J Cell Mol Med. 2013 Jun 26;17(8):958–965. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.12088).  Employing the precautionary principle would have necessitated HHS to shield children from the unknown and potentially harmful effects of EMFs until they were found to do no harm rather than unleash them and hope for the best.  Anecdotally, as an educator, I can say that children today have neither the attention spans nor the physical fortitude that they did twenty years ago when I began teaching, but this is an amalgamation of all the toxins in the environment that we have placed there rather than just EMFs.  Our environment suffers the effects of EMFs as well, notably our pollinators (Sci Adv. 2023 May 12;9(19):eadh1455. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1455 ) who already suffer from pesticides and ravages of climate change.  \n\nI support, indeed urge, HHS in taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. For far too long, citizens have been left on their own to research and question the effects of these radiation sources on human health, something which should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health.  The experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence.\n\nI 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.\n\nThank you for this opportunity to be heard.","attachments":[],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-1588","tags":["child-development","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"a56f784e360fd4caf6317bf6998b2ddb93c34062cff78cc12c56fc1281394956","slug":"child-development-comment-1588","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-1588","body_sha256":"9143ff2eefd808716ddb375a3ccac678e43471a5fde6bd3df7dc0b67e78bb2b5","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"children","topics":[{"id":"children","evidence":"been concerned by the increasing exposure of children, as well as wildlife, to the electromagnetic radiation"},{"id":"environment","evidence":"ers the effects of EMFs as well, notably our pollinators (Sci Adv. 2023 May 12;9(19):eadh1455. doi: 10.1126/sci"},{"id":"mechanisms","evidence":"nd that EMF radiation can interfere with the calcium channels in cells. These play an important role in nerve and mu"},{"id":"research","evidence":"pulations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health.\n\nThank"}],"summary":"An educator and biologist requests precautionary protection and research for children and wildlife, citing cellular mechanisms and acknowledging multiple environmental contributors.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-05T20:06:38Z","review_method":"Full published comment-body review; exact shared paragraphs read once and reused losslessly; distinct official IDs preserved. Attachments and external links not reviewed.","review_source_sha256":"6dfc89700244d43092abec8526d6600a006177dd7f1161948f98aeb6f4e443db","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["children","environment","mechanisms","research"],"primary_topic":"children","forum_title":"An educator and biologist requests precautionary protection and research for children and wildlife, citin…"}