Childhood cancer and residential proximity to power lines

Abstract

In the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study, a population-based case–control study covering the whole of England, Scotland and Wales, measured power-frequency magnetic fields were not found to be associated with risk for any malignancy. To examine further the risk associated with residential proximity to electricity supply equipment, distances to high-voltage lines, underground cables, substations and distribution circuits were collected for 3380 cases and 3390 controls. Magnetic field exposure from this equipment was calculated using distance, load and other circuit information. There was no evidence that either proximity to electrical installations or the magnetic field levels they produce in the UK is associated with increased risk of childhood leukaemia or any other cancer. Odds ratios of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.42–1.26) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 0.75 (95% CI = 0.45–1.25) for all leukaemias, 1.08 (95% CI = 0.56–2.09) for central nervous system cancers and 0.92 (95% CI = 0.64–1.34) for all malignancies were obtained for residence within 50 m of an overhead line. When individuals with a calculated magnetic field exposure ≥ 0.2 μT were compared to those in a reference category of exposure <0.1 μT, odds ratios of 0.51 (95% CI = 0.11–2.33) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 0.41 (95% CI = 0.09–1.87) for total leukaemia, 0.48 (95% CI =0.06–3.76) for central nervous system cancers and 0.62 (95% CI = 0.24–1.61) for all malignancies were obtained. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com

Residential distance at birth from overhead high-voltage powerlines: childhood cancer risk in Britain 1962–2008

“…The United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study ( UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators, 2000b ) reported a smaller study of childhood leukaemias and other cancers across England, Wales and Scotland, which both measured magnetic fields within the home from all sources and calculated distances to powerlines. It also reported elevated risks for leukaemia that were not statistically significant, though they were compatible with the pooled analyses for magnetic fields and with the Draper et al (2005) results for powerline proximity ( UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators, 1999 , 2000a ; Draper et al , 2005 ).…”

Childhood cancer and magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case–control study

“…The UK Childhood Cancer Study (UKCCS) calculated magnetic fields from measured currents in overhead power lines with voltages ranging from 11 to 400 kV, for the home addresses of 6770 children in Britain during 1991–1996 (3380 cases of childhood cancer and 3390 controls) ( UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators, 2000a ). The geographical areas and time periods overlap with those for our study, and the same computer programme was used for the field calculations, but the overall proportion of addresses with fields above 0.1 μ T is higher in the UKCCS (0.52%) than in our study (0.07%).…”

Proximity to overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia: an international pooled analysis

“…We identified 21 studies on distance to power lines published between 1993 and 2016, of which 13 met our inclusion criteria (Table 1) 14,15,17–19,44–51 . Eight studies were excluded; reasons for their exclusion are provided in the appendix (Table S1) 52–59 .…”