In December of 2021, Environmental Health Trust (EHT) along with several other organizations filed a petition to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the public health hazard caused by wireless radiation. EHT included their report on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) misrepresentation of cell phone radiation safety along with the petition. Other parties involved in the petition include Americans for Responsible Technology, Consumers for Safe Cell Phones, and the California Brain Tumor Association, as well as other organizations.
The petition requests that HHS issues a declaration that there is an imminent hazard to public health and to promptly ensure that it is widely communicated to all affected public and private entities. Their reasoning for the petition references the FDA’s failure to clarify the official safety policy surrounding everyday, non-medical electronic devices that emit RF radiation. The organizations highlight that governmental organizations at the federal and state levels, health care providers, and various other businesses rely on the existence of these standards from the FDA.
The petition also states that numerous scientific studies provide evidence that biological harm is occurring due to lower levels of RF radiation than the current exposure guidelines from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It is important to note that the FCC’s exposure guidelines were also established 25 years ago, and are only related to the heating of human tissue. Without a proper policy and standards in place, it is difficult for the public to adopt and follow such regulations, creating an issue of reasonable concern for public health, as levels of exposure to non-ionizing RF radiation continue to increase at an exponential rate.
EHT’s report included in the petition outlines 13 instances of misrepresentation of information by the FDA relating to the safety of cellular devices and wireless radiation. This outline emphasizes that an abundance of misinformation from the FDA creates a widely believed yet inaccurate narrative about wireless radiation. In addition to a thorough breakdown of the 13 instances of misinformation, EHT provides three main instances of falsehood that perpetuate misunderstanding about safety among the general public.
The first instance is that the FDA has a thorough scientific review process for the most recent data on the potential harms of wireless radiation, including 5G technology. To date, the FDA has only published a literature review, which is not a scientifically valid risk assessment. The second is that through this process, the FDA has deemed that cellular devices are so safe, there is no risk in using them close to the body and brain, even for more susceptible individuals. A recent federal court case demonstrates that evidence has been continuously ignored by the FCC, rendering both agencies’ determination of safety misleading. Finally, the FDA specifically disregards studies which found cancer in rats, claiming it is insignificant to human health. Furthermore, they have failed to thoroughly evaluate the science surrounding non-cancer related effects in both humans and other test species.
The work done by organizations such as EHT and others involved in the filing of this petition is important for public health and safety. The agencies responsible for establishing safety standards for all forms of wireless radiation are demonstrating a failure to evaluate the evidence in an acceptable scientific manner. It is reasonable to acknowledge that more research is necessary to discover the true extent of EMR/EMF effects on human health. However, the disregard for the current science and subsequent inaction by federal agencies in the United States is a definite cause for concern. It is important for individuals to take their protection into their own hands while organizations such as EHT fight for better defined safety standards.
The petition to HHS can be found here.
Additionally, the full 170 page EHT report on the FDA can be found here.
