The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking scientific evidence and public testimony on possible health risks associated with electromagnetic fields and wireless technologies, with particular attention to children, pregnant women and long-term exposure.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a federal review of electromagnetic field exposure and its potential effects on human health, inviting researchers, physicians, technology companies and the public to submit evidence concerning radiation from cellphones, Wi-Fi networks, 5G infrastructure and other wireless technologies.
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The initiative follows a directive in the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Strategy to examine the scientific evidence surrounding electromagnetic radiation, identify unanswered questions and assess whether federal health policy adequately addresses technological developments.
The Department of Health and Human Services formally launched its Request for Information on Sept. 17, with the notice published in the Federal Register on Sept. 21. The public comment period remains open through Oct. 21, 2026.
Kennedy emphasized the initiative in a public statement, saying the administration intends to examine potential health consequences associated with technologies that have become increasingly common in American homes, schools and workplaces.
“The MAHA Strategy gave us a clear mission: investigate the relationship between electromagnetic radiation and health, identify gaps in our knowledge, and make sure federal policy keeps pace with rapidly changing technology,” Kennedy stated.
“We promised to act, and today we are. We launched a formal Request for Information on radiofrequency and electromagnetic field emissions and their potential effects on human health.”
Kennedy directed the public to the Federal Register announcement, which provides details about the inquiry and instructions for submitting information.
The official notice, titled “Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure,” outlines 18 categories of questions covering scientific research, exposure measurement, public health surveillance, existing safety standards and future federal research priorities.
HHS is seeking evidence about a wide range of electronic and wireless systems, including mobile phones, wireless internet equipment, smart meters, wearable devices, satellite communications, autonomous vehicles, connected household appliances and medical devices.
The inquiry also covers emerging technologies such as 6G networks and the potential implications of exposure to several wireless signals simultaneously.
In its Sept. 17 announcement, HHS said the initiative is intended to evaluate existing research, compare American and international exposure standards, and develop recommendations grounded in scientific evidence.
“Wireless technologies are part of daily life, and our science must keep pace,” Kennedy said in the department’s announcement.
The department is encouraging submissions from researchers, clinicians, public health professionals, equipment manufacturers, technology providers, educators, consumer advocates and individuals who believe they have experienced health problems associated with electromagnetic exposure.
Officials are particularly interested in information concerning prolonged exposure, the adequacy of existing measurement methods and possible differences in susceptibility among population groups.
The inquiry will examine whether current scientific methods accurately measure the electromagnetic radiation people encounter during ordinary activities.
Those exposures can come from numerous sources throughout the day, including smartphones, wireless routers, Bluetooth devices, cellular infrastructure and electronic equipment.
HHS is asking whether existing research adequately accounts for exposure duration, frequency, distance from transmission equipment and simultaneous exposure to multiple signals.
The department also wants to determine whether additional monitoring systems or long-term studies could improve understanding of possible health outcomes.
One major area of investigation concerns people who may have different exposure patterns or additional health considerations.
The Federal Register notice specifically identifies children, pregnant women, older adults, workers with elevated occupational exposure and people with implanted medical devices.
For children, the department is seeking research that might help determine whether exposure assessment and risk evaluation should differ from those used for adults.
Questions involving pregnancy and childhood development are also included in the broader inquiry.
The notice asks whether existing evidence supports different approaches for people with medical conditions or devices that could interact with electromagnetic signals.
Officials are also interested in occupational settings where employees may encounter higher levels of exposure than members of the general public.
These could include workplaces involving communications infrastructure, industrial electronic equipment or specialized technical systems.
The review will consider whether existing occupational standards adequately account for differences in exposure conditions.
Another area of investigation involves the cumulative effects of wireless technology.
As households and communities increasingly rely on connected equipment, individuals may encounter signals from numerous devices and networks during the same period.
HHS is asking whether current research accurately characterizes those combined exposures and whether additional studies are necessary.
The inquiry includes questions about transmission frequency, power density, signal modulation, specific absorption rate and other technical characteristics relevant to electromagnetic exposure.
Specific absorption rate, commonly abbreviated SAR, measures the rate at which energy from radiofrequency radiation is absorbed by biological tissue.
The measurement is used in evaluating certain wireless devices and their compliance with established exposure limits.
The department is examining whether current methods remain appropriate for newer technologies and whether additional information should be disclosed to consumers.
The review also considers the placement of wireless infrastructure near homes, schools, child care facilities, hospitals and workplaces.
Federal officials are seeking research related to antenna density, neighborhood-level exposure and the deployment of small cellular transmitters.
Questions about potential environmental effects are included, with the notice specifically inviting evidence involving livestock and other environmental considerations.
The department has not concluded that these technologies cause harm at levels permitted under existing federal standards.
Rather, the request seeks information that can distinguish established findings from emerging research and questions that remain unresolved.
Radiofrequency radiation is a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation.
Unlike ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, radiofrequency energy does not carry enough energy per photon to directly ionize atoms or molecules.
At sufficiently high exposure levels, radiofrequency energy can heat biological tissue, a well-established effect that forms an important basis for existing safety limits.
Research examining whether lower-level exposures produce other health effects has continued for decades.
Major health agencies have generally concluded that convincing evidence of adverse health effects from ordinary wireless exposure below established safety limits has not been established, while acknowledging the need to continue evaluating scientific findings.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans in 2011, reflecting limited evidence concerning certain cancer associations rather than proof that everyday exposure causes cancer.
Subsequent research has produced varying findings, and scientists continue evaluating the quality and relevance of studies involving long-term exposure.
The new federal review is intended to examine that evidence alongside newer research involving contemporary wireless systems.
Importantly, the process does not itself establish new radiation exposure limits or impose restrictions on electronic devices.
A Request for Information is an information-gathering procedure through which an agency seeks evidence and recommendations before determining whether further research or policy action is warranted.
The Federal Register notice states that submissions may inform future research priorities, public health guidance or federal policies.
It does not commit HHS to any particular regulatory outcome.
Kennedy has emphasized that federal officials should consider peer-reviewed studies, government reports, exposure measurements, technical assessments and documented clinical observations.
HHS is encouraging participants to identify the scientific or technical basis for their submissions and provide supporting documentation whenever available.
The department is also seeking personal accounts from people who believe they or family members have experienced adverse health effects associated with electromagnetic exposure.
Respondents are invited to describe the equipment involved, estimated exposure duration, symptoms experienced and whether medical evaluations were conducted.
Officials also want to know whether reported symptoms changed when individuals reduced or eliminated a suspected exposure.
Such accounts may help identify questions for future investigation, although individual experiences alone cannot establish that electromagnetic radiation caused a particular medical condition.
Determining causation requires scientific research capable of accounting for other potential explanations and relevant biological mechanisms.
HHS is separately inviting clinicians and researchers to describe patterns they may have observed in patients, occupational settings or scientific investigations.
Those submissions could help guide decisions about whether additional population studies, laboratory investigations or exposure monitoring programs are necessary.
Another objective is comparing existing regulatory approaches.
The department wants information about American and international safety standards and whether different jurisdictions use comparable scientific methods to evaluate potential risks.
Federal oversight of wireless technologies involves several agencies with different responsibilities.
The Federal Communications Commission establishes radiofrequency exposure limits for equipment and communications infrastructure under its jurisdiction.
The Food and Drug Administration evaluates scientific information concerning certain radiation-emitting electronic products and provides public health information.
The National Institutes of Health supports research involving environmental exposures, biological processes and possible health outcomes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also contributes to public health research and surveillance involving environmental and occupational hazards.
HHS is asking whether coordination among these agencies could be improved.
The inquiry could help identify areas where responsibilities overlap, scientific methods differ or additional research resources may be useful.
The department also wants recommendations concerning how exposure information should be communicated to consumers, schools, health professionals and local governments.
The federal initiative comes as technological changes continue increasing the number and variety of devices communicating through radiofrequency signals.
Wireless medical equipment, connected vehicles, industrial sensors and household appliances are among the applications expanding the use of electromagnetic communications.
Emerging systems may operate across different frequencies and use signal-processing methods that differ from those employed by earlier generations of wireless technology.
HHS wants to determine whether research and regulatory frameworks adequately address those developments.
The department’s announcement forms part of the broader Make America Healthy Again agenda, which emphasizes examining environmental, dietary and other factors that may affect chronic disease and long-term health.
The MAHA Strategy directed federal agencies to evaluate areas where scientific uncertainty warrants additional investigation.
Kennedy has made the examination of environmental exposures a recurring component of his public health priorities.
Under the new inquiry, the department intends to identify the most important unanswered questions and determine where future federal research should be concentrated.
Possible outcomes include recommendations for additional studies, improvements in exposure assessment, expanded public health monitoring or revisions to guidance for consumers and institutions.
However, any future regulatory changes would require separate consideration under applicable legal procedures.
Members of the public can submit comments through the federal government’s official regulations portal.
The notice is identified as docket HHS-OASH-2026-0397.
Participants may respond to one or more of the questions listed in the Federal Register notice, and the department encourages them to identify the specific questions addressed.
Submissions may include scientific citations, technical reports, exposure measurements and other relevant documentation.
Comments are voluntary and may be submitted anonymously.
Because submissions will become publicly available, HHS advises participants not to include sensitive personal information, private medical records or confidential material.
The deadline for public comments is Oct. 21, 2026.
After reviewing the submissions, federal officials may use the information to identify research priorities and develop recommendations concerning electromagnetic exposure and public health.
The department has not announced a timetable for issuing a final scientific assessment or proposing new exposure standards.
For now, the initiative represents a formal expansion of federal information gathering concerning technologies used by millions of Americans every day.
Kennedy said the administration intends to examine the available evidence and identify areas where scientific understanding remains incomplete.
The central question is whether additional research will reveal health risks not adequately addressed by existing standards or strengthen current scientific assessments of wireless technology exposure.
The department’s findings will depend on the quality of the evidence collected and the results of any subsequent research.
With public comments open through Oct. 21, HHS is asking scientists, industry representatives, health professionals and concerned citizens to participate in determining the next steps for federal research into electromagnetic fields and human health.
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