Radiation literature survey

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This is a case-control study investigating whether maternal lifestyle risk factors including mobile phone and computer use are associated with threatened miscarriage. In the study self-reported duration of mobile phone and computer use per day is compared between 154 cases (women presenting with threatened miscarriage in the 5th to 10th weeks of gestation) and 264 controls. There were statistically significant associations between mobile phone and computer use and threatened miscarriage; for mobile phone use of more than 2 hours/day the OR was 6.32 (95% CI 2.71 – 14.75) and for computer use of more than 4 hours/day the OR was 6.03 (95% CI 2.82 – 12.88). The authors conclude that mobile phone and computer use could be related to threatened miscarriage.

Lifestyle Risk Factors Associated with Threatened Miscarriage: A Case-Control Study

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This meta-analysis investigated whether exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields is associated with breast cancer. The meta-analysis included results from sixteen case-control studies, published from 2000 to 2007. The authors reported that, for premenopausal women, the occurrence of breast cancer was related to ELF magnetic fields (odds ratio, OR, 1.25, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.05 – 1.49), but not for menopausal women (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.93-1.18). The authors conclude that exposure to ELF magnetic fields may be a risk factor for breast cancer when women are non-menopausal.

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The hypothesis that long-term exposure to relatively weak ELF magnetic fields could increase the risk of breast cancer is based on the assumption that magnetic field exposure suppresses nocturnal melatonin production and that melatonin is a protective factor against breast cancer, possibly by affecting the level of estrogen.

A previous meta-analysis of 23 case-control studies by Chen et al (2013) also found that exposure to ELF magnetic fields may be related to an increased risk of female breast cancer for premenopausal women (see July 2013 report).

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This is a systematic review of eight epidemiological studies investigating the association between physiotherapists’ occupational exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields from shortwave and microwave diathermy devices and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The reproductive outcomes analysed included: spontaneous abortion, delayed time to pregnancy of more than 6 months, altered gender ratio, low birth weight, still birth and congenital malformations in the physiotherapists’ offspring. The authors identified that the lack of data on the intensity and duration of RF exposure and the distances to diathermy devices, to be the major flaw in most of the reviewed studies. The authors concluded that the findings of the reviewed studies for adverse reproductive outcomes are not consistent enough to draw a causal relationship with RF exposure from diathermy devices and that further research is warranted.

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This in vivo study investigated whether perinatal (immediately before and after birth) exposure to ELF magnetic fields is associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the study male mice were either exposed or sham-exposed to a 1 mT 50 Hz magnetic field continuously during the last week of gestation and for 7 days after delivery. The exposed mice demonstrated reduced social interaction. The authors conclude that these results are supportive of a causal link between exposure to ELF and ASD.

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This case-control study investigated whether occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks are related to mortality from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the study the occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks was compared between 5,886 cases (that died of ALS between 1991 and 1999) and 57,667 controls. Exposure to ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks was assessed via the same JEM used by van der Mark et al. There was a statistically significant positive association between occupational magnetic fields greater than 0.3 µT and ALS mortality (odds ratio, OR = 1.09, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.00-1.19). There was a statistically significant protective effect between electrical shocks and ALS mortality (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.67-0.79). The authors report that ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks are inversely related to ALS mortality.

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This case-control study investigated whether occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks are related to Parkinson’s disease. In the study the occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks was compared between 444 cases of Parkinson’s disease (diagnosed between 2006 and 2011) and 876 controls. Exposure to ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks was assessed via a JEM. The authors report no association between ELF magnetic fields and electrical shocks and Parkinson’s disease.

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This is a case-control study investigating whether occupational exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields is associated with brain tumours. In the study the occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields was compared between 3,761 cases of brain tumour (1,939 glioma, 1,822 meningioma) diagnosed between 2000‑2004 and 5,404 controls. Exposure to ELF magnetic fields was assessed using a job-exposure matrix (JEM). There was no association between lifetime cumulative ELF exposure and glioma or meningioma. However, there was a positive association between cumulative exposure to ELF magnetic fields 1‑4 years prior to the diagnosis date and glioma (odds ratio (OR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-2.07). The authors conclude that the results showed a positive association between occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields in the recent past and glioma.

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In 2002, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified ELF magnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol80/volume80.pdf). The classification was based on “limited” epidemiological evidence for an association between prolonged exposure to higher than normal residential ELF magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. However, this association is not supported by laboratory or animal studies and no credible theoretical mechanism has been proposed.

Subsequent to the IARC classification a number of epidemiological studies have investigated whether occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields is associated with adult cancers and in particular breast cancer, leukaemia and brain tumours. Results from these studies have been largely inconsistent. In 2007 the World Health Organization assessed the evidence and found that overall the evidence for an association between occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields and cancer remains inadequate
(www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/Complet_DEC_2007.pdf).

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This case-control study investigated whether living close to high voltage power lines is associated with childhood cancer. The study compared the residential distance to high voltage power lines between 53,515 children diagnosed with cancer between 1962 and 2008 (the cases), and 66,204 matched controls. The risk for leukaemia when living within 200 m of a power line compared to living more than 1000 m away was higher in the 1960s (odds ratio, OR, 4.5, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.97 – 20.83) compared to the 2000s (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.49‑1.03). The authors conclude that the declining risk for childhood leukaemia over time is unlikely to arise from any physical effect of the power lines (such as exposure to electric and magnetic fields) and is more likely to be the result of changing population characteristics among those living near power lines.

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This in vivo study investigated whether exposure to RF EMF emitted by mobile phones affects auditory function by altering the neurotransmitter glycine. In the study rats were exposed to a 835 MHz RF signal at a specific absorption rate of 4 W/kg or sham for three months. The authors report differences in the glycine activity between the exposed and non-exposed rats which are indicative of auditory dysfunction.

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This is a report by researchers from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority about an RF measurement programme conducted in rural, urban and city areas of Sweden. Measurements were conducted from a moving car (travelling at no more than 30 km/h) and covered the frequency range used by broadcast television and radio services as well as mobile phone networks. The median power density was found to rise with increasing population density being 16 microwatts per square meter (µW/m²) in rural areas, 270 µW/m² for urban and 2400 µW/m² in the cities. All measurement values were found to be well below the general public exposure limits of the guidelines (PDF 526kb) published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. In each of the three settings the main contributor to RF exposures was found to be mobile phone base stations.

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