Radiation from TV Towers

[isurveyor@vianet.net.au (Ivor Suveyor)]

PERTH WA
13-Dec-96
Radsafe members may find the following report of interest.   Certain
sections of the Australian public are concerned about the health
consequences from TV Towers.   A week ago the general media gave publicity
to a paper in the current Med J Aust. 
 
Hocking et al Med J Aust 1996; 165: 601-605.   Cancer incidence and
mortality in proximity to TV Towers. 
This is an ecological study comparing cancer incidence and mortality in nine
municipalities  The population was divided in to two groups living within 4
km of the geographic centre of three towers and greater then the 4 km radius. 
A map of the Sydney area is included in the paper for information. 
Source of data was the NSW Cancer Registry and covers the period 1972- 1990. 
Duration of residence in the area was not recorded.   The Authors offered a
number of possible confounding factors to their analysis. 

For all ages leukaemia incidence rate ratio was 1.24 (95% CI 1.09-1.40)
For children leukaemia incidence rate ratio was 1.58 (95% CI 1.07-2.34)

Total leukaemia mortality rate RR of children was 2.32 (95% C1 1.35-4.01).

The most common type of childhood leukaemia in this series was lymphatic 
with an incidence of 1.55 ( 95% CI 1.00-2.41) and a mortality of 2.74 (95 %
CI 1.42-
5.27)

Child hood is ages 0-14 y.  No association was reported with Brain tumour.

The Federal Health minister Dr Michael Woolridge made some very interesting and
pertinent remarks as reported on ABC radio. 
>From memory he made the following points: 

1.   This is an association, it does not prove a cause.  However, the author
of the paper
     is a person to be respected

2.   He will make money available for further research in this area which
will take several years to
     complete. 

3.   Even if true childhood leukaemia is a rare disease.  If living in
proximity to TV
     towers  be eventually  proven to be a cause of this disease,  childhood
leukaemia
     will always remain a rare disease.

4    More childhood lives would be saved by such matters as  increasing the
rate of
     childhood immunisation, fencing of domestic swimming pools etc.

It is nice to see a politician who is able to give  this data a public
health perspective. 

                                     
Ivor Surveyor