Re: Non-ionizing radiation

[Ruth Weiner <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

The "bottom line" seems to be that no one has been able to demonstrate a 
consistent dose-response relationship between the magnetic field generated by AC
and any kind of cancer.  I seem to recall an issue of either HEALTH PHYSICS or 
RISK ANALYSIS devoted to the subject, about 2 years ago. Bonneville did a 
thorough animal study and found nothing. The Wertheimer- Leeper study, which is 
often cited by those who want to think EM radiation gives one cancer, purported 
to find clusters of childhood leukemias in neighborhoods where ther was a visual
proximity to power lines (that is, the power lines looked to be close to those 
houses where the childen had leukemia...).  Further investigation of these 
neighborhooods could not find a correlation between magnetic field and leukemia.
 Also, the magnetic,field dose from an ordinary AC appliance (hair dryer, 
electric blanket, etc) is usually a lot more than from a powerline, because the 
receptor is a lot closer to the appliance.

I thought the issue was dead.

Clearly only my own opinion

Ruth F. Weiner
Transportation Systems Department
Sandia National Laboratories
505-844-4791
fax 505-844-0244
rfweine@sandia.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Non-ionizing radiation
Author:  kfischer@exchange.nih.gov at hubsmtp
Date:    4/20/98 8:33 AM


Hello Radsafe...
     
A recent discussion with an elementary school teacher has prompted me to do some
informal research on the old subject of potential health effects of living near 
power lines.  I realize this has come up before on Radsafe, but I never paid 
attention like I should have.
     
So I found the NAS press release and executive summary, which conclude that 
there is no threat the human health from exposure to EM fields: 
http://www2.nas.edu/WHATSNEW/25ba.html 
http://www.junkscience.com/news/nrc-emf.html
     
But some more research finds that not everyone is so convinced.  In fact, some 
believe that just the opposite is true -- the link between EM fields and health 
effects is unmistakable:
http://www.trufax.org/reports2/health.html
     
I'm no epidemiologist, so I wouldn't consider myself qualified to make a 
judgment either way.  What is the consensus here on Radsafe?  I never thought 
there was any valid reason to believe that these claims were true, but is there?
     
On a related subject, the non-ionizing radiation information links on the 
Radiation and Health Physics Homepage are dead.  Can anyone recommend some good 
informational sites, especially for use by someone who is unfamiliar with issues
relating to radiation (like a school teacher)?
     
Thanks for your interest,
     
Karl Fischer
Physical Science Technician, NIH
kwf@nih.gov