ARPANSA - Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

By: Sohrabi MR, Tarjoman T, Abadi A, Yavari P
Published in: Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2010; 11 (2): 423 - 427

This epidemiological study investigated the possible association between living near high voltage power lines and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. The study included 300 children (aged 1-18 years) with ALL and 300 controls (children without ALL) who were individually matched for gender and approximate age. The odds ratio (OR) of ALL for living within 600 meters of a high voltage power line was 2.61 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.73-3.94). Looking at different types of power lines, the OR was 9.93 (95%CI: 3.47 to 28.5) for 123 kilovolt (kV) lines, 10.78 (95%CI: 3.75 to 31) for 230 kV lines and 2.98 (95%CI: 0.93 to 9.54) for 400 kV lines. The authors conclude that living close to high voltage power lines is a risk for ALL.

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A similar result to this study was reported in 2005 by Draper et al where distance was also used as a predictor of magnetic field exposure. These results, however, are surprising since magnetic fields at distances greater than 100 m typically fall to within background levels. It has been suggested that possibly another factor related to living close to high voltage power lines, and not the electric and magnetic fields from the power lines, is the true association with childhood leukaemia. However, the research so far has not proven the existence of another (confounding) factor.  

In 2002 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed all the available evidence in relation to extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields and cancer. Based on the “limited” association between ELF magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia found in epidemiological studies and “inadequate” animal data, IARC classified ELF magnetic fields as a “possible human carcinogen”. (http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol80/mono80.pdf)

In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed the evidence in an Environmental Health Criteria Monograph by focusing mainly on studies published after the IARC review. The WHO concluded that new studies do not change the overall classification of ELF magnetic fields as a possible human carcinogen. (http://www.who.int/entity/peh-emf/publications/Complet_DEC_2007.pdf)

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By: Divan HA, et al
Published in: Scand J Work Environ Health 2011: in press

This epidemiological study investigated whether use of mobile phones by pregnant mothers is associated with delays in childhood development stages among their offspring up to 18 months of age. The study used information from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC), which recruited pregnant mothers from 1996-2002, and collected a variety of detailed information regarding in utero exposures and various health outcomes. At the end of 2008, over 41000 singleton, live, births had been followed and  information collected on mobile phone use by the mothers during pregnancy. Outcomes for developmental milestones were obtained from telephone interviews completed by mothers at  6 and 18 months after giving birth. The authors reported no evidence of an association between prenatal mobile phone use and motor or cognitive/language developmental delays among infants at 6 and 18 months of age.

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By: Saravi FD
Published in: J Craniofac Surg 2011; 22 (2): 706 – 710

This study investigated whether there are asymmetries in hip bone mineralization in people that carry their mobile phone in their pockets. In the study differences in bone mineralization (bone mineral density and content) in the right and left hip of healthy male adult volunteers were compared between 24 nonusers of mobile phones and 24 users who carried the phone close to the right hip, for at least 1 year. The authors report different asymmetries between right and left hip in mobile phone users compared to nonusers and conclude that mobile phones may adversely affect bone mineralization.

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By: Shamis Y, et al
Published in: Appl Environ Microbiol 2011: in press.

This Australian study investigated the effects of microwave (MW) radiation on the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli). E. coli bacteria were either exposed to 18 GHz MW radiation at temperatures below 40°C (sub-lethal temperature), heated up to temperatures up to 40°C or left untreated. The bacteria that were exposed to MW radiation showed a significantly different cell morphology compared to those that were heated. This MW effect, however, appeared to be temporary, as following a further 10 minute elapsed period, the cell morphology appeared to revert to a state that was identical to that of the untreated bacteria. The authors conclude that one of the effects of exposing E. coli cells to MW radiation under sub-lethal temperature conditions is that the cell surface undergoes a temporary modification, resulting in pores forming in the cell membrane.

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By: Lee JW, et al
Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2011: in press

This study investigated whether high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can damage the DNA (is genotoxic) of cultured human lymphocytes. Human lymphocytes were exposed to 3 tesla (T) MRI scans for different exposure periods. The authors observed a significant increase in the frequency of single-strand DNA breaks following exposure. They conclude that exposure to 3 T MRI induces genotoxic effects in human lymphocytes.

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