Proximity to overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia: an international pooled analysis.

Amoon, Aryana T; Crespi, Catherine M; Ahlbom, Anders; Bhatnagar, Megha; Bray, Isabelle; Bunch, Kathryn J; Clavel, Jacqueline; Feychting, Maria; Hémon, Denis; Johansen, Christoffer; Kreis, Christian; Malagoli, Carlotta; Marquant, Fabienne; Pedersen, Camilla; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Röösli, Martin; Spycher, Ben D; Sudan, Madhuri; Swanson, John; Tittarelli, Andrea; ... (2018). Proximity to overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia: an international pooled analysis. British journal of cancer, 119(3), pp. 364-373. Nature Publishing Group 10.1038/s41416-018-0097-7

[img]
Preview
Text
Amoon BrJCancer 2018.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Publisher holds Copyright.

Download (463kB) | Preview

BACKGROUND

Although studies have consistently found an association between childhood leukaemia risk and magnetic fields, the associations between childhood leukaemia and distance to overhead power lines have been inconsistent. We pooled data from multiple studies to assess the association with distance and evaluate whether it is due to magnetic fields or other factors associated with distance from lines.

METHODS

We present a pooled analysis combining individual-level data (29,049 cases and 68,231 controls) from 11 record-based studies.

RESULTS

There was no material association between childhood leukaemia and distance to nearest overhead power line of any voltage. Among children living < 50 m from 200 + kV power lines, the adjusted odds ratio for childhood leukaemia was 1.33 (95% CI: 0.92-1.93). The odds ratio was higher among children diagnosed before age 5 years. There was no association with calculated magnetic fields. Odds ratios remained unchanged with adjustment for potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

In this first comprehensive pooled analysis of childhood leukaemia and distance to power lines, we found a small and imprecise risk for residences < 50 m of 200 + kV lines that was not explained by high magnetic fields. Reasons for the increased risk, found in this and many other studies, remains to be elucidated.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)

UniBE Contributor:

Kreis, Christian, Spycher, Ben

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 360 Social problems & social services

ISSN:

0007-0920

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

Language:

English

Submitter:

Tanya Karrer

Date Deposited:

31 May 2018 11:59

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:14

Publisher DOI:

10.1038/s41416-018-0097-7

PubMed ID:

29808013

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.116909

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/116909

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback