Summary of acknowledged health risks associated with living near high voltage power lines Research 1979 - 2001
CHILDHOOD LEUKAEMIA
AHLBOM A, DAY N, FEYCHTING M , ROMAN E, SKINNER J, DOCKERTY J, MCBRIDE M, MICHAELIS J, OLSEN JH, TYNES T and VERKASALO PK, 2000. A pooled analysis of magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia,
British Journal of Cancer 83(5), 692-698.
GREENLAND S, SHEPPARD AR, KAUNE WT, POOLE C and KELSH M A, 2000.
A pooled analysis of magnet fields, wire codes and childhood Leukaemia. Epidemiology, 11, 624-634.
Microwave News, Vol.XX, No. 5, Sept/Oct. 2000, ISSN 0275-6595, PO Box 1799, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163.
An implied relative risk of 2.0 above 0.4uT and 1.7 above 0.3 uT.
FEWS AP,HENSHAW DL, KEITCH P A, CLOSE JJ and WILDING RJ, 1999 B.
Increased exposure to pollutant aerosols under high voltage power lines.
International Journal of Radiation Biology, 75(12), 1505-1521
Predicted excess cases annually in the UK near high voltage power lines 2-8 cases
SKIN CANCER
FEWS A P, HENSHAW D L, KEITH P A, CLOSE J J, and WILDING R J, 1999B. Increased exposure to pollutant aerosols under high voltage power lines.
International Journal of Radiation Biology, 75(12), 1505-1521
Assessment of Skin Doses. Documents of the NRPB, Volume 8, No. 3, 1997.
Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 ORQ
Risk assessment based on increased skin exposure to radon decay products and other via 50 Hz oscillation of aerosols.
Predicted excess cases annually in the UK near high voltage power lines 14 cases
LUNG CANCER
MCDOWALL M E, 1986. Mortality of persons resident in the vicinity of electricity transmission facilities. British Journal of Cancer, 53: 271-279
KATSOUYANNI K and PERSHAGEN G, 1997 Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Cancer. Cancer Causes and Control, 8 284-291
Risk assessment based on increased exposure to air pollution via corona ion effects
Predicted excess cases annually in the UK near high voltage power lines 250-400 cases.
OTHER ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AIR POLLUTION
SEATON A, MACNEE W, DONALDSON K and GODDEN D, 1995. Particulate air pollution and acute health effects. The Lancet, 345,176-78.
Risk assessment based on increased exposure to air pollution via corona ion effects.
Predicted excess cases annually in the UK near high voltage power lines ~ a few thousand cases
SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION
REICHMANIS M, PERRY F S, MARINO A A and BECKER R O, 1979. Relation between Suicide and the Electromagnetic Field of Overhead Power Lines. Physiology Chemistry & Physics, 11, 395-403.
PERRY F S, REICHMANIS M, MARINO A A and BECKER R O, 1981. Environmental Power-Frequency Magnetic Fields and Suicide. Health Physics, 41, 267-277.
PERRY S, PEARL L and BINNS R, 1989. Power Frequency Magnetic Field: Depressive Illness and Myocardial Infarction. Public health, 103 177-180
POOLE C KAVET R, FUNCH D P, DONELAN K, CHARRY J M and DREYER N A, 1993 Depressive Symptoms and Headaches in Relation to Proximity of Residence to an Alternating-Current Transmission Line Right-of -way. American Journal of Epidemiology, 137, 318-330
SAVITZ D A, BOYLE C A, and HOLMGREEN P, 1994. Prevalence of Depression Among Electrical Workers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 25, 165-177.
VERKASALO P K, KAPRIO J, VARJONEN J. ROMANOV K, HEIKKILA K and KOSKENVUO M., 1997. Magnetic Fields of Transmission Lines and Depression. American Journal of Epidemiology, 146 1037-1045
BEALE I L, PEARCE N E, CONROY D M, HENNING M A and MURRELL K A, 1997.Psychological Effects of Chronic Exposure to 50 Hz Magnetic Fields in Humans Living Near Extra-High-Voltage Transmission Lines. Bioelectromagnetics, 18, 584-594.
VAN WIJNGAARDEN E V, SAVITZ D A, KLECKNER R C, CAI J and LOOMIS D, 2000. Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields and Suicide Among Electric Utility Workers: A Nested Case-Control study. WJM, 173, 94-100.
Considered biologically plausible via magnetic field exposure. Apparent low threshold ~ 0.1 uT.
Predicted excess cases annually in the UK near high voltage power lines
Suicide 60 cases
Depression Up to 9,000 cases of mild depression.
TOMOXIFEN, MELATONIN & EMFS
DON MAISCH Australian Electromagnetic Forum Volume 1. No 4 Spring 1997
LIBURDY R.P. et al (1993) ELF Magnetic Fields, Breast Cancer and melatonin
HARLAND J.D., LEE M.Y. LEVINE R.P. (1997) Differential inhibition of Tamoxifen’s Oncostatic Functions in a Breast Cancer line by a 1.2 microtesla Field .COOGAN P.F. et al (1996) Occupational Exposure to 60-Hz Magnetic Field Risk of Breast Cancer in Women. Epidemiology; 7:p.459-464. LUBEN R.A., SARAIYA S and MORGAN A.P. (1996) Replication of 1.2 microtesla EMF Effects on Melatonin Responses of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells in vitro. STEVENS R.G., DAVIS S, THOMAS D B, ANDERSON L E, WILSON B W, (1992) Electric Power, Pineal Function and the Risk of Breast Cancer: A Hypothesis. FASEB J. 6: p. 853-860
There is repeated evidence that fields above one microtesla stop the anti-cancer action of the widely used breast cancer treatment drug Tamoxifen.
MAXIMUM EMF EXPOSURE EMERGES AS STRONG MISCARRIAGE RISK
CALIFORNIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT REPORT ON ELECTRIC AND MAGNET FIELDS FROM POWER LINES, APRIL 2001
This report highlights the added risk of miscarriage, childhood Leukaemia, brain cancer and a greater incidence of suicide as some of the health risks associated with exposure to electric and magnetic fields such as from power lines. The new information concerning miscarriage is particularly disturbing. Women exposed to magnetic fields of 16 mG (1.6 uT) or more while pregnant are up to six times more likely to have a miscarriage. See the following websites and find Environmental News Service: Power lines, Wiring pose health risks Press Release enclosed.
http://www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk/ (Access Latest Updates: California News)
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul2001/2001L-07-16-02.html (Press Release)
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ehib/emf/RiskEvaluation/riskeval.html (California EMF Health report)
MICROWAVE NEWS 10/07/01 here as pdf file also enclosed
THE LIST GROWS
The situation regarding permitted exposure to electric and magnetic fields in this country is quite ridiculous. For magnetic fields the NRPB guide lines for maximum exposure are set at 1600 uT. This is 4000 times higher than the level of 0.4 uT where a doubling of childhood Leukaemia risk has been observed. Even the international guidelines which are set at 100uT are 250 times higher than 0.4 uT.
We need a sensible limit on magnetic field exposure such as that adopted by the Swiss Government on December 23 1999. Their limit is 1 uT.
When can we expect to see this limit (or an even stricter one) in the UK?