Post by Denise on Aug 12, 2011 15:00:30 GMT
Study using adult case cancers identified through the national cancer registry data. This study investigates the risk of adult cancers in relation to distance from high voltage overhead power lines.
Findings:
Extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF]EMF) have been implicated in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia. Studies have also investigated ELF]EMF in the occurrence of adult cancers, but the evidence is inconsistent and far weaker than for childhood leukaemia; adult cancer sites possibly associated with ELF]EMF exposures include leukaemia, brain and central nervous system tumours, malignant melanoma and female breast cancer. We carried out a case]control study of incidence of these cancers among residents of England and Wales living near high voltage overhead power lines; grid references of pylons for all 275 and 400kV plus a small fraction of 132kV power lines were obtained from National Grid, together with construction dates. Eligible cases were identified from the national cancer register held by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit; cases were aged 15]74 years at diagnosis, 1974 ] 2003, and living within 1000m of a high voltage overhead power line based on geocoding of residential address. Controls (stratified by year of diagnosis and region) were similarly obtained from the national cancer register for a range of cancers not considered to be associated with ELF]EMF. For each case and control cancer, the distance to operating power lines was calculated in a Geographical Information system (GIS). National Gridfs EM2D program was used to calculate magnetic fields at each address within 200 m of a power line (100 m if the lines had transposed phasing). Potential confounders considered were 7
age, sex, and measures of rurality and deprivation (Carstairs score). Case cancers tended to be younger, slightly more affluent and for malignant melanoma and breast cancer, less urban than control cancers. Pearson correlation between calculated magnetic fields in year of diagnosis and five years previously was 0.81. Results for cancer risk with respect to distance and calculated magnetic fields are pending.
Read the report:
www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_129160.pdf
Findings:
Extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF]EMF) have been implicated in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia. Studies have also investigated ELF]EMF in the occurrence of adult cancers, but the evidence is inconsistent and far weaker than for childhood leukaemia; adult cancer sites possibly associated with ELF]EMF exposures include leukaemia, brain and central nervous system tumours, malignant melanoma and female breast cancer. We carried out a case]control study of incidence of these cancers among residents of England and Wales living near high voltage overhead power lines; grid references of pylons for all 275 and 400kV plus a small fraction of 132kV power lines were obtained from National Grid, together with construction dates. Eligible cases were identified from the national cancer register held by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit; cases were aged 15]74 years at diagnosis, 1974 ] 2003, and living within 1000m of a high voltage overhead power line based on geocoding of residential address. Controls (stratified by year of diagnosis and region) were similarly obtained from the national cancer register for a range of cancers not considered to be associated with ELF]EMF. For each case and control cancer, the distance to operating power lines was calculated in a Geographical Information system (GIS). National Gridfs EM2D program was used to calculate magnetic fields at each address within 200 m of a power line (100 m if the lines had transposed phasing). Potential confounders considered were 7
age, sex, and measures of rurality and deprivation (Carstairs score). Case cancers tended to be younger, slightly more affluent and for malignant melanoma and breast cancer, less urban than control cancers. Pearson correlation between calculated magnetic fields in year of diagnosis and five years previously was 0.81. Results for cancer risk with respect to distance and calculated magnetic fields are pending.
Read the report:
www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_129160.pdf