{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496","number":"4496","name":"Veronica Zrnchik","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-24T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-16T04:00Z","body":"HHS Public Comment — Docket HHS-OASH-2026-0397\nQuestions 2, 3, 5–13, 15–18\n\nI submit this comment as an individual with approximately 14 years of lived experience with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS/EMR-S) and as a licensed clinical social worker.\n\nQ2–3: Personal Experience and Health Effects\n\nFor approximately 14 years, I have experienced symptoms associated with electromagnetic exposure, including sleep disruption and inability to sleep, burning skin, skin redness and mottling, intense pressure around my head as though it were in a vice, squeezing sensations in my chest, heartbeats that feel erratic, and difficulty concentrating.\n\nThese experiences have affected my sleep, ability to use my home, work, finances, independence, and daily life. At times, I have felt driven to sleep in my car rather than remain in an environment where I was experiencing symptoms. These are significant effects on my life, not abstract concerns.\n\nHHS should take reports of EHS seriously, investigate symptoms under real-world exposure conditions, and provide practical assistance to affected individuals.\n\nQ5–8, 12–13, 15–16: Standards, Exposure, and Research\n\nIndependently review whether current exposure standards adequately address long-term and cumulative exposure, real-world conditions, and potentially susceptible individuals. Compliance with existing limits should not automatically end investigation of reported symptoms.\n\nResearch should evaluate multiple simultaneous sources, exposure patterns over time, and conditions in occupied homes and everyday environments. Include the National Toxicology Program's radiofrequency studies and the Ramazzini Institute study in a transparent evaluation of the evidence. Identify research gaps and prioritize independent research into EHS and practical exposure-reduction options.\n\nQ9–11(g): Disclosure, Surveillance, and EHS\n\nResidents deserve understandable information about wireless sources in or near their homes, including their characteristics and operating patterns. HHS should support privacy-protective reporting of symptoms and exposure circumstances and explicitly consider people with EHS among populations who may uniquely experience adverse effects.\n\nURGENT: SMART METERS AND INVOLUNTARY EXPOSURE\n\nCommunication-enabled utility meters deserve specific, urgent attention. They may be installed on or immediately adjacent to homes, leaving residents little control over exposure. Because utilities are essential services, people may face fees, barriers, or penalties for requesting an alternative. For people with EHS, this can mean having a wireless transmitter at home without a meaningful ability to opt out.\n\nHHS should investigate meter transmission characteristics, real-world indoor exposure, placement near occupied rooms, and cumulative exposure alongside other wireless sources. Work with utility regulators to promote transparent disclosure, feasible non-wireless alternatives, fair accommodations, and protection against unreasonable fees or loss of essential service. This lack of choice requires action now, not research alone.\n\nEVERYDAY PRODUCTS AND THE RISK OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION\n\nThe problem extends beyond utility meters. Cars, appliances, and an increasing range of everyday products incorporate microprocessors, electronic circuitry, and wireless technologies that people with EHS may have difficulty tolerating. As wireless technology becomes embedded in more necessities, finding usable products can become increasingly difficult and expensive. People may face the frightening prospect of being progressively pushed out of ordinary social life because transportation, household equipment, housing, and other necessities become inaccessible.\n\nWhat are people with EHS supposed to do as everyday life becomes harder to access? HHS should investigate these barriers and promote transparent product information, practical accommodations, and affordable alternatives. People should not be expected to withdraw from society or bear the entire burden of finding workable options themselves.\n\nQ14, Q17–18: Environmental Effects, Coordination, and Accountability\n\nCoordinate among FDA, NIH, CDC, and relevant regulators. Examine environmental effects and establish clear responsibility for follow-up. Research and standard-setting must be transparent and independent, with safeguards against conflicts of interest, regulatory capture, and undue industry influence.\n\nAfter approximately 14 years of living with these effects, I am asking for more than acknowledgment that further research is needed. People experiencing EHS need practical help now, alongside independent research and meaningful protections. No one should have to choose between essential services and a reasonable opportunity to reduce unwanted exposure. Please treat EHS as an urgent public-health, accessibility, accommodation, and consumer-protection issue.","attachments":["https://downloads.regulations.gov/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496/attachment_3.pdf","https://downloads.regulations.gov/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496/attachment_5.pdf","https://downloads.regulations.gov/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496/attachment_4.pdf","https://downloads.regulations.gov/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496/attachment_1.pdf","https://downloads.regulations.gov/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496/attachment_2.pdf"],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496","tags":["health-experiences","sleep-cognition","exposure-places","policy-standards","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"52569190ac50f763b50697e91550235d29fce0c73def38aed78466a8987ab2de","slug":"health-experiences-comment-4496","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4496","body_sha256":"ba7df6af2c1593baa8f676c2341cd6ab8c93f001675f61da98c45a5993cb6296","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"ehs","topics":[{"id":"ehs","evidence":"roximately 14 years of lived experience with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS/EMR-S) and as a licensed clinical social worker.\n\nQ2–3: Per"},{"id":"neurological","evidence":"ted with electromagnetic exposure, including sleep disruption and inability to sleep, burning skin, skin redness and mottling,"},{"id":"cardiac","evidence":"in a vice, squeezing sensations in my chest, heartbeats that feel erratic, and difficulty concentrating.\n\nThese experiences have affected "},{"id":"access","evidence":" daily life. At times, I have felt driven to sleep in my car rather than remain in an environment where I was experiencing sy"},{"id":"smart-meters","evidence":"niquely experience adverse effects.\n\nURGENT: SMART METERS AND INVOLUNTARY EXPOSURE\n\nCommunication-enabled utility meters deserve specific, urgent a"},{"id":"research","evidence":" of the evidence. Identify research gaps and prioritize independent research into EHS and practical exposure-reduction options.\n\nQ9–11(g): Di"},{"id":"standards","evidence":", and Research\n\nIndependently review whether current exposure standards adequately address long-term and cumulative exposure, real-world"},{"id":"environment","evidence":"mong FDA, NIH, CDC, and relevant regulators. Examine environmental effects and establish clear responsibility for follow-up. Research and s"}],"summary":"A clinical social worker describes 14 years of EHS with sleep, skin and cardiac symptoms and life restrictions, requesting practical accommodations, fair smart-meter alternatives, independent research and stronger consumer protections.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-24T20:09:12Z","review_method":"Full comment-text review with exact source evidence; attachments not reviewed","review_source_sha256":"f8d7887247876057ccd23507399e99feff35359618059e722139e701a5e6c436","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["ehs","neurological","cardiac","access","smart-meters","research","standards","environment"],"primary_topic":"ehs","forum_title":"A clinical social worker describes 14 years of EHS with sleep, skin and cardiac symptoms and life restric…"}