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FAQs on Powerlines & Cancer

I maintain a question-and-answer sheet for the medical physcis newgroup on 
the Internet.  I occurs to me that some readers of this mailing list might be 
interested.  Mailing this "FAQ" sheet to everyone would be a bit 
presumptious, so I attach copy of the table of contents.

-----
FAQs on Power-Frequency Fields and Cancer (part 0 of 4)
Last-modified: 1994/3/25
Version: 2.4

This FAQ sheet is posted on:
sci.med.physics
sci.answers
news.answers

Current version available (after a few days) by anonymous FTP from 
"rtfm.mit.edu"
Directory: /pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/powerlines-cancer-FAQ
Files: part1, part2, part3, etc. . . .

If you don't have NNTP or FTP access, I will respond directly to e-mail 
requests.  Warning it is big -- 110K characters! 

Revision notes:
v2.4 (23-Mar-94): Expanded to four parts.  Added table of contents.  Expanded 
and annotated bibliography.  Modified and expanded non-ionizing bioeffects 
sections.  Expanded discussion of field reduction techniques.  Added sections 
on measurement techniques.  Expanded section on laboratory studies and broke 
into multiple parts.  Added short section and references on reproductive 
toxicity studies.

Table of Contents:
Part 1
1) Why is there a concern about powerlines and cancer?
2) What is the difference between the electromagnetic (EM) energy associated 
with power lines and other forms of EM energy such as microwaves or x-rays?
3) Why do different types of EM sources produce different biological effects?
4) What is difference between EM radiation and EM fields?
5) Do power lines produce EM radiation?
6) How do ionizing EM sources cause biological effects?
7) How do RF, MW, visible light, and IR light sources cause biological 
effects?
8) How do the power-frequency EM fields cause biological effects?
9) Do non-ionizing EM sources cause non-thermal as well as thermal effects?
10) What sort of power-frequency magnetic fields are common in residences and 
workplaces?
11) Can power-frequency fields in homes and workplaces be reduced?
12) What is known about the relationship between powerline corridors and 
cancer rates?
13) How big is the "cancer risk" associated with living next to a powerline?
14) How close do you have to be to a power line to be considered exposed to 
power-frequency magnetic fields?
15) What is known about the relationship between "electrical occupations" and 
cancer rates?

Part 2
16) What do laboratory studies tell us about power-frequency fields and 
cancer?
    16A) Are power-frequency fields genotoxic? 
    16B) Are power-frequency magnetic fields cancer promoters? 
    16C) Do power-frequency magnetic fields enhance the effects of other
    genotoxic agents?
17) How do laboratory studies of the effects of power-frequency fields on 
cell growth, immune function, and melatonin relate to the question of cancer 
risk?
18) Do power-frequency fields show any effects at all in laboratory studies?
19) What about the new "Swedish" study showing a link between power lines and 
cancer?
20) What criteria do scientists use to evaluate all the confusing and 
contradictory laboratory and epidemiological studies of power-frequency 
magnetic fields and cancer?
    20A) Criterion One: How strong is the association between exposure
    to power-frequency fields and the risk of cancer?
    20B) Criterion Two: How consistent are the studies of associations
    between exposure to power-frequency fields and the risk of cancer?
    20C) Criterion Three: Is there a dose-response relationship between
    exposure to power-frequency fields and the risk of cancer?
    20D) Criterion Four: Is there laboratory evidence for an association
    between exposure to power-frequency fields and the risk of cancer?
    20E) Criterion Five: Are there plausible biological mechanisms that
    suggest an association between exposure to power-frequency fields
    and the risk of cancer?
21) If exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields does not explain the 
residential and occupations studies which show increased cancer incidence, 
what other factors could?
    21A) Could problems with dose assessment affect the validity of the
    epidemiological studies of power lines and cancer?
    21B) Are there other cancer risk factors that could be causing a
    false association between exposure to power-frequency fields and
    cancer?
    21C) Could the epidemiological studies of power lines and cancer be
    biased by the methods used to select control groups?
    21D) Could analysis of the epidemiological studies of power lines
    and cancer be skewed by publication bias?
22) What is the strongest evidence for a connection between power-frequency 
fields and cancer?
23) What is the strongest evidence against a connection between power-
frequency fields and cancer?
24) What studies are needed to resolve the cancer-EMF issue?
25) Is there any evidence that power-frequency fields could cause health 
effects other than cancer.

Part 3
26) What are some good overview articles?
27) Are there exposure guidelines for power-frequency fields?
28) What effect do powerlines have on property values?
29) What equipment do you need to measure power-frequency magnetic fields?
30) How are power-frequency magnetic fields measured?

Annotated Bibliography
A) Recent Reviews of the Biological and Health Effects of Power-Frequency 
Fields
B) Reviews of the Epidemiology of Exposure to Power-Frequency Fields
C) Epidemiology of Residential Exposure to Power-Frequency Fields
D) Epidemiology of Occupational Exposure to Power-Frequency Fields
E) Human Studies Related to Power-Frequency Exposure and Cancer
F) Biophysics and Dosimetry of Power-Frequency Fields

Part 4
G) Laboratory Studies of Power-Frequency Fields and Cancer
H) Laboratory Studies Indirectly Related to Power-Frequency Fields and Cancer
J) Laboratory Studies of Power-Frequency Fields and Reproductive Toxicity
K) Reviews of Laboratory Studies of Power-Frequency Fields
L) Miscellaneous Studies
M) Regulations and Standards for Ionizing and Non-ionizing EM Sources.

Maintainer of powerlines-cancer-FAQ
John Moulder (jmoulder@its.mcw.edu)         Voice: 414-266-4670
Radiation Biology Group                     FAX: 414-257-2466
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee