Hypothesis: The risk of childhood leukemia is related to combinations of power-frequency and static magnetic fields
- Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Preventive Medicine
The authors present a hypothesis that the risk of childhood leukemia is related to exposure to specific combinations of static and extremely-low-frequency (ELF) magnetic fields. Laboratory data from calcium efflux and diatom mobility experiments were used with the gyromagnetic equation to predict combinations of 60 Hz and static magnetic fields hypothesized to enhance leukemia risk. The laboratory data predicted 19 bands of the static field magnitude with a bandwidth of 9.1 {mu}T that, together with 60 Hz magnetic fields, are expected to have biological activity. The authors then assessed the association between this exposure metric and childhood leukemia using data from a case-control study in Los Angeles County. ELF and static magnetic fields were measured in the bedrooms of 124 cases determined from a tumor registry and 99 controls drawn from friends and random digit dialing. Although no association was found for childhood leukemia in relation to measured ELF or static magnetic fields alone, an increasing trend of leukemia risk with measured ELF fields was found for subjects within these static field bands. When the 60 Hz magnetic fields were assessed according to the Wertheimer-Leeper code for wiring configurations, leukemia risks were again greater with the hypothesized exposure conditions. Although the risk estimates are based on limited magnetic field measurements for a small number of subjects, these findings suggest that the risk of childhood leukemia may be related to the combined effects of the static and ELF magnetic fields.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 37291
- Journal Information:
- Bioelectromagnetics, Vol. 16, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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