Why we need prudent avoidance of exposure to elevated levels of magnetic fields associated with the electricity supply
- Opinion - Professor D. L. Henshaw 04/09/02
There is now a clear case for prudent avoidance of exposure to elevated levels of magnetic fields such as those associated with high voltage powerlines but also associated with the electricity supply generally. Here, we summarise the latest scientific information concerning exposures to power frequency magnetic fields and adverse health outcomes, and the steps that some countries are taking either by legislation or by recommendation to avoid unnecessary exposures.
Three Bodies, the US National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the UK National Radiological Protection Board Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) now agree that magnetic fields are a possible carcinogen. Their conclusion is based on the pooled analyses of epidemiological studies which show a doubling of childhood leukaemia risk associated with magnetic field exposures above 0.4 microtesla,