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Exploring exposure–response for magnetic fields and childhood leukemia

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 21, pages 625–633 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

For 30 years, there have been suggestions that extremely low frequency magnetic fields such as those are produced by electric power systems may be associated with elevated risks of childhood leukemia. These suggestions are driven by epidemiological evidence, and it has been common to characterize that evidence as showing a threshold effect, with no increase in risk below a threshold, often 0.3 or 0.4 μT, and a constant risk above it. Such a threshold would, however, be biologically unlikely. We tested alternative dose–response relationships quantitatively. We obtained five exposure data sets, applied several candidate dose–response relationships to each one, and performed a regression analysis to see how well they fit each of the three epidemiological data sets. Threshold dose–response relationships performed only moderately. Linear relationships were generally even poorer. The fit was improved by adding quadratic terms or performing non-linear regression. There are limitations in our analysis, stemming from the available data, but addressing this issue in a data-based, quantitative manner should improve understanding, allow better calculations to be made of attributable numbers, and hence ultimately inform public policy making.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Energy Networks Association (ENA) for funding this work. We also thank Ruediger Matthes and ENERTECH Consultants for making exposure data available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, 90095-1772, California, USA

    Leeka Kheifets

  2. Department of Biostatistics, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, 90095-1772, California, USA

    Abdelmonem Afifi

  3. Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, 90095-1772, California, USA

    Jason Monroe

  4. National Grid, London, UK

    John Swanson

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  1. Leeka Kheifets
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Correspondence to Leeka Kheifets.

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Competing interests

Energy Networks Association (ENA) funded this work. The only condition of ENA funding this work was that the results should be published openly in reputable, peer-reviewed scientific journals and they had no influence over the conduct or results of the study. J Swanson worked on this paper with permission from the National Grid, but no results were shared nor was approval sought from anyone in the National Grid, and the views expressed are his alone.

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Kheifets, L., Afifi, A., Monroe, J. et al. Exploring exposure–response for magnetic fields and childhood leukemia. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 21, 625–633 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2010.38

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