Authored By:
Esmailzadeh et alThis was a case-control study in Iran, investigating a possible link between high voltage power lines and female infertility. The study included 462 women with infertility and 471 match controls with no history of infertility. The exposure to the participants was assessed by residential distance to high voltage power lines. The authors reported statistically significant associations between female infertility and high voltage power lines at distances of less than 500 meters (odds ratio (OR) of 4.14 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.61-6.57) and between 500-1000 meters (OR of 1.61 with a 95% CI of 1.05-2.47). When the results were adjusted for confounders, the association was no longer significant at distances between 500 and 1000 meters (OR of 1.53 with a 95% CI of 0.99 to 2.37). Based on the association at distances of less than 500 metres, the authors concluded that the current safety guidelines for exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are inadequate to protect people from the hazardous effects of these fields.
Published In:
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, January 2019The study suggested that exposure to EMF from high voltage power lines is associated with female infertility. However, the exposure assessment was based on residential distance to high voltage power lines, not by EMF strength. This association was reported when homes were less than 500 meters from power lines. However, at distances over 50 meters, the EMF from high voltage power lines is indistinguishable from typical background levels in the home (Karipidis, 2014). This indicates that exposure to EMF is unlikely to be the cause of the reported association.
