ELF and brain tumours

Spanish researcher Dr Marina Pollan has investigated the interaction of magnetic fields from the power system and carcinogenic chemicals on the incidence of two types of brain cancer—gliomas and meningiomas.

Her subjects were 1.5 million Swedish men who had worked between 1970 and 1989.

She found that:

  • exposure to magnetic fields but not chemicals did not increase glioma risk;
  • exposure to magnetic fields above 2 mG plus solvents increased glioma risk by 50%;
  • exposure to magnetic fields above 2 mG plus pesticides or herbicides doubled glioma risk;
  • exposure to magnetic fields above 2 mG plus lead increased quadrupled glioma risk.
  • there was no relationship between magnetic fields and meningiomas.

(Cancer Epidemiol, Biomarkers Prev 11(12), pp 1678-1683, 2002.)

EMR News Mar 2003, Vol 2 No 1

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