HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6608
https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6608

Subject: Public complaint about electrosmog in Italy and personal testimony on electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS)
I am writing to denounce the abandonment of Italian citizens in the face of exposure to electromagnetic fields and the lack of protection for people suffering from symptoms attributed to electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). In April 2024, national exposure limits were raised from 6 to 15 V/m. There are also no uniform minimum safety distances from homes, schools, and sensitive sites. I call for greater public attention, transparency, and precautionary measures to protect health.
My story began in July 2024, one month after a mobile phone antenna was installed directly in front of my home. Other installations are located about 250 metres from my home and 200 metres from my workplace, where I have worked for 18 years.
I began experiencing severe pain in my left epididymis and big toes. For months, my nails stopped growing. Medical examinations and treatments did not resolve the problems. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatments only made my symptoms worse. I also noticed a strong stinging sensation in my face whenever I approached my mobile phone. That was when I understood the link between my symptoms and the new antenna. When I tried to explain my suspicions and the scientific evidence I had found to doctors, my concerns were met with scepticism and ridicule. In desperation, I contacted the Italian Electrosensitive Association, which gave me guidance on investigating the situation. My home was already partly protected: during renovations in 2012, I removed all wireless devices and fully wired my internet network and alarm system.
To see whether leaving my usual environment might help, I spent several days in an isolated country house in the hills, keeping my mobile phone switched off. My symptoms eased and disappeared; within two days of returning home, they came back. This experience strengthened my conviction that the possible environmental causes of my symptoms needed to be investigated more seriously.
By late 2024, convinced that the new antenna in front of my home was responsible for the onset of my electromagnetic hypersensitivity, I was forced to leave my apartment and move into a small ground-floor flat in an attempt to reduce my exposure. In 2026, the antenna was upgraded to accommodate two operators. Despite environmental shielding and protective clothing, I continue to feel unwell, even at field levels I measure below 0.1 V/m.
My workplace is also a source of distress because of Wi-Fi devices, wireless equipment, and a nearby antenna. I currently suffer from chronic pain, including pain in my left epididymis, severe insomnia, tinnitus, difficulties with concentration and speech, night-time cramps, photophobia, episodes of migraine, nausea, and dizziness. I also experience debilitating fatigue, intestinal problems, food intolerances, and significant weight loss. I am paying for numerous medical tests myself in an attempt to find answers and treatment.
This condition has profoundly affected my life. I am a divorced father of two young children and can no longer share many everyday activities, holidays, school events, or sports events with them. I have had to give up my social life and many essential activities. The only place where I have experienced a marked improvement is the country house in the hills, far from sources of electrosmog, but moving there permanently is incompatible with my family responsibilities and work commitments.
I asked the local council to halt new installations, adopt a municipal antenna plan, and prevent further expansion in areas that are already saturated, but my efforts have not achieved the desired results.
For all these reasons, this is not merely a testimony of suffering but a firm call for legislative action. It is essential and urgent that the authorities introduce concrete laws to protect public health: national emission limits must be drastically lowered, well below current levels, and strict, non-negotiable minimum safety distances must be established from residential areas, schools, and sensitive sites. It is also essential to encourage and promote wired connections in public and private spaces, guaranteeing every citizen the fundamental right to live and work in safe environments that are protected and free from electromagnetic impacts. Finally, public healthcare must urgently provide appropriate scientific and medical training so that healthcare professionals are prepared to take people experiencing these complex problems seriously, putting an end to an unacceptable culture of ridicule and scepticism. We cannot continue sacrificing people's health at the altar of technological profit, leaving people with EHS invisible and without rights.