Public Comment on Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Public Health and Environmental Protection I am submi…

Public Comment on Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Public Health and Environmental Protection I am submitting this comment as someone whose health, professional life and daily activities have been profoundly affected by electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). I attach four medical certificates, including documents from physicians specialising in EHS, supporting my situation and the need for workplace accommodations. I am not a researcher. I ask HHS to take seriously the experiences of people reporting symptoms associated with electromagnetic field exposure and to investigate outstanding scientific questions independently. 1. Impact on health and daily life My health deteriorated to the point that I needed sick leave, followed by a therapeutic part-time return to work. I can no longer attend my open-plan workplace because it relies entirely on Wi-Fi. I also experience symptoms during train journeys where Wi-Fi is available. These limitations affect my ability to work, travel and participate in social life. Although I have not sought formal disability recognition, the practical consequences are disabling. Wi-Fi is widespread in workplaces, trains, schools, hotels, restaurants and wellness facilities. Wireless infrastructure also increasingly reaches natural and rural areas, making places where exposure can be reduced harder to find. Avoidance can mean sacrificing work opportunities, transport, leisure and family activities. Digital services should not automatically require wireless connectivity where wired alternatives are feasible. 2. Experience with a communicating gas meter My symptoms first became apparent on the day a communicating gas meter was installed in my home. I had not experienced this condition before. After fighting to have the meter removed, my symptoms improved immediately but never fully disappeared; my health did not return to its previous baseline. This chronology is my personal experience, not proof of causation. It illustrates why people reporting such symptoms need opportunities to investigate their circumstances and reduce exposure where feasible. I also incur additional costs for refusing communicating meters. 3. Children and schools My son experiences headaches and nausea in circumstances that raise concerns for me about wireless exposure. I cannot establish the cause, but these symptoms deserve appropriate medical attention and investigation. Where feasible, schools should retain wired connectivity options and consider practical exposure-reduction measures. Families reporting symptoms should be heard respectfully, without dismissing their concerns or presuming causation before investigation. Children have limited control over their environments and deserve particular consideration. 4. Biodiversity and the environment I urge HHS to support independent research into possible effects of electromagnetic exposure on pollinating insects, birds, wildlife, plants and livestock. Research should examine orientation, behaviour, reproduction and development under realistic, chronic and cumulative exposure conditions, using field observations and controlled experiments with independent replication. Potential implications for pollination, agriculture, ecosystem resilience and food security warrant investigation, without presenting uncertain findings as established facts. 5. Recommendations I urge HHS to: - Include people reporting EHS in independent research and public health surveillance. - Investigate reported symptoms, possible biological mechanisms, individual susceptibility and objectively measured exposure. - Prioritise research on children, long-term and cumulative exposure, and real-world conditions. - Assess whether exposure measurements adequately reflect everyday environments. - Encourage feasible wired alternatives to unnecessary wireless connectivity, particularly in schools, workplaces and public transport. - Investigate potential ecological effects through transparent, reproducible research. - Consider the social and economic consequences for people reporting these symptoms, including barriers to work, transport and public participation. I recognise the need to distinguish personal experience from established causation. However, uncertainty should not justify disregarding people's suffering or the substantial limitations they face. They need independent research, transparent assessment, respectful consideration and practical options to participate in society. Thank you for considering my submission and the accompanying medical documentation.