Exposure of school employees to extremely low frequency magnetic fields

This study was initiated to determine and compare daily occupational exposure (OE) and non-occupational exposure (NOE) of three employee groups of teachers, maintenance workers and secretarial staff in a Canadian school district. The time-weighted average (TWA) individual OE for subjects ranged from 0.4-3.8 milligauss (mG), and the TWA NOE ranged from 0.2-7.1 mG. TWA OE and NOE were 1.2 mG and 1.5 mG for teachers, 1.8 mG and 1.2 mG for maintenance workers, and 2.9 mG and 2.1 mG for secretarial staff. The differences between TWA OE and NOE of each group and also among the three groups were not statistically significant. OE and NOE of secretarial staff exceeded 10 mG 9.0% and 6.4% of the time--significantly (p < 0.001) higher rates than those of OE and NOE of teachers (1.0% and 1.4%) and maintenance workers (2.8% and 0.1%). Exposures were well below recommended criteria.     

Occupational exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and postmenopausal breast cancer

BACKGROUND: The association between occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer was assessed in a case-control study. METHODS: Breast cancer cases were compared to cancer controls. Interviewers elicited information on risk factors and on lifetime work history. Industrial hygienists assigned to each job average duration of exposure to ELF-MF at four levels of intensities ("none," <0.2 microT; "low," 0.2-<0.5microT; "medium," 0.5-<1microT; "high," > or =1-10microT). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: A total number of 608 cases and 667 controls participated. Adjusting for accepted breast cancer risk factors, we found an OR of 1.13 for lifetime occupational exposure to ELF-MF at medium or high intensities. Risks were larger for exposures before age 35 (OR = 1.40), and statistically significant for exposures before 35 among cases with progesterone receptor positive tumors (OR = 1.56, 95% CI=1.02-2.39). CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be a small increased risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal women exposed occupationally to ELF-MF.     

Individual estimation of exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic fields in jobs commonly held by women

Exposures to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields have not been documented extensively in occupations besides the work environments of electric or telephone utilities. A 1980-1993 study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Québec, Canada, gathered detailed information about the occupations of 491 mothers of ALL cases and mothers of a similar number of healthy controls. This information was combined with published data on the intensities of ELF magnetic fields associated with sources or work environments to estimate ELF magnetic field exposures for a wide range of jobs commonly held by women. Estimated exposures for 61 job categories ranged from 0.03 to 0.68 microT; the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles were 0.135, 0.17, and 0.23 microT, respectively. By job category, the most highly exposed jobs (>0.23 microT) included bakery worker, cashier, cook and kitchen worker, electronics worker, residential and industrial sewing machine operator, and textile machine operator. By work environment, the most highly exposed job categories were electronics worker in an assembly plant (0.70 microT) and sewing machine operators in a textile factory (0.68 microT) and shoe factory (0.66 microT). These results provide new information on expected levels of exposure in a wide range of jobs commonly held by women.     

Occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and mortality from cardiovascular disease

The authors evaluated the relation between occupational exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. The study was based on 27,790 subjects from the Swedish Twin Registry. Exposure to ELF magnetic fields was assessed by linking occupation reported in 1967 or 1973 to a job exposure matrix. Four levels of exposure were related to cause-specific mortality through 1996, and primary and contributing causes of death were considered. The authors estimated relative risks by Cox regression, with adjustment for several cardiovascular disease risk indicators. The authors calculated the synergy index to evaluate potential interaction between exposure to ELF magnetic fields (>0.2 microT) and genetic susceptibility to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Arrhythmia-related death, ischemic heart disease other than AMI, and atherosclerosis showed no association with ELF magnetic fields. The authors found a low-level increase in AMI risk in the highest exposure group (relative risk=1.3, 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 1.9) and suggestions of an exposure-response relation (p=0.02). A synergy index of 2.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 6.6) in monozygotic twins indicated that the risk of AMI was strengthened among ELF magnetic field-exposed subjects with genetic susceptibility to the disease. The results for AMI corroborate previous findings from the United States. The unusual opportunity to include genetic susceptibility in the present analyses showed that evaluations of effect modification in vulnerable subjects are warranted in ELF magnetic field research.     

Interaction of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields with humans

The dosimetry and physical interaction mechanisms of electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the extremely low frequency (ELF) range (below 300 Hz) are described. The mechanisms through which ELF electric and magnetic fields induce electric currents in living organisms are summarized, with particular emphasis on humans. Topics that are discussed include: (1) sources and measurements of ELF electric and magnetic fields; (2) direct and indirect coupling of these fields to humans; (3) transient discharges and contact currents, and the thresholds for human response to these phenomena; (4) protective measures for the mitigation of potential ELF field effects on humans; and (5) mechanisms of interaction of ELF fields with cellular and tissue systems, with emphasis on field transduction mechanisms involving the cell membrane.     

Maternal occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields during pregnancy and childhood leukemia

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a target period for events that could induce childhood leukemia. There has been little attention to possible effects of maternal occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) during pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted a population-based, case-control study of 491 incident cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children 0-9 years of age, matched on age and sex to 491 healthy controls. Cases were diagnosed in the Province of Québec between 1980 and 1993. Mothers were interviewed to obtain detailed prenatal occupational history; individual exposure to ELF-MF was estimated based on a method we recently developed. We used 3 metrics for analyzing exposure: cumulative, average and maximum levels. Analyses were carried out among all study women and among working women only. RESULTS: Comparing the highest 10% of exposed mothers to the others, the risk of leukemia among offspring was moderately increased by using any metric, in all women and among working women only. The highest odds ratio of 2.5 (95% confidence interval = 1.2-5.0) was found for maximum exposure attained in an occupation (>/=0.4 microtesla). CONCLUSIONS: Our results are compatible with an increased risk of childhood leukemia among children whose mothers were exposed to the highest occupational levels of ELF-MF during pregnancy.     

极低频磁场对细胞微丝骨架影响的研究进展

1979年,Wertheimer等首次报道高压输电线路附近居住的儿童白血病发病率增高.根据流行病学调查结果[1～3],2001年,国际癌症研究机构(IARC)将极低频磁场(extremely low frequency magnetic fields,ELF MF)列为人类可疑致癌源.     

Cancer risk assessment of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields: a critical review of methodology.

This review provides a discussion of cancer risk assessment methodology pertinent to developing a strategy for extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF). Approaches taken for chemical agents or ionizing radiation in six key topic areas are briefly reviewed, and then those areas are examined from the perspective of EMF, identifying issues to be addressed in developing a risk assessment strategy. The following recommendations are offered: 1) risk assessment should be viewed as an iterative process that informs an overall judgment as to health risk and consists of a complex of related activities incorporating both positive and negative data, tumor and nontumor end points, and human and nonhuman sources of information; 2) a hazard identification resulting in a conclusion of weak or null effects, such as may be associated with EMF, will need to assign significant weight to animal cancer bioassays conducted under defined exposure conditions as well as to human epidemiologic studies; 3) a default factor to account for possible age differences in sensitivity to carcinogenesis should be included in an EMF risk assessment; 4) lack of evidence of dose response and the apparent lack of DNA reactivity of EMF suggest that a safety (or uncertainty) factor or margin of exposure type of risk characterization may be most appropriate; and 5) an EMF risk assessment should permit at least tentative conclusions to be reached as to the limits of carcinogenic risk from exposure to EMF, and should also define an efficient research agenda aimed at clarifying uncertainties appropriate to a more complete assessment.     

极低频磁场对细胞色素氧化酶亚基1基因转录水平的影响

目的　克隆和鉴定本研究室经DD法在Daudi细胞中筛选到的一个极低频磁场的特异反应基因 (MF 1) ,并在多种磁场敏感细胞中证实该基因反应的普遍性 ,为揭示磁场所致生物学效应的作用机制提供实验依据。方法　克隆、序列分析MF 1片段 ;选择HL 6 0、L12 10和中国仓鼠肺成纤维细胞 (CHL)等细胞 ,用Northern技术观察该基因在不同条件的磁场辐照 (5 0Hz磁场 ,磁通密度分别是 0 .1mT和 0 .8mT ,辐照时间分别是 2 0min和 2 4h)后该基因转录水平的变化。结果　克隆测序及与GeneBank同源性比较表明 ,MF 1序列与细胞色素氧化酶亚基 1基因 (CO1)有 10 0 %同源性。HL 6 0、L12 10和CHL等细胞在 0 .1mT、0 .8mT磁场辐照 2 0min后 ,CO1转录水平 (分别为 0 .38± 0 .12、0 .37± 0 .0 4 )均比对照组 (0 .5 8± 0 .12 )下降 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;辐照 2 4h后 ,3种细胞该基因转录水平 (分别为 0 .4 6± 0 .0 9、0 .4 5± 0 .0 9)亦比对照组 (0 .6 5± 0 .0 6 )下降 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　CO1是磁场辐照密切相关的反应基因之一。磁场可能通过影响CO1的转录水平来影响细胞色素氧化酶的活力 ,从而影响多种生物学效应     

极低频磁场对HepG2细胞内游离钙离子浓度的影响

目的　研究极低频电磁场是否影响细胞内钙离子浓度 ( [Ca2 +]i)。方法　Fura 2负载HepG2细胞分别在 1.5 5mT(均值 )、16Hz脉冲磁场处理 6 0min ,30 0mT、2Hz旋转磁场处理 5min后 ,用荧光光度计检测 [Ca2 +]i;实时检测 0 .9mT(有效值 )、16Hz正弦磁场对 [Ca2 +]i的影响。结果　在 1.5 5mT、16Hz脉冲磁场处理后 ,对照组和处理组R值 (F34 0nm　　 F380nm　　 )分别为 2 .4 5 19± 0 .2 378、2 .5 2 6 6± 0 .2 915 ,30 0mT、2Hz旋转磁场处理后R值分别为 1.36 5 0± 0 .0 6 2 6、1.36 0 2± 0 .0 771。 0 .9mT、16Hz正弦磁场处理下R值数据点拟合趋势线斜率比 [r(50 1～ 1 0 0 0 )　　　 r(0～ 50 0 )　　 ]分别为 1.12 13± 0 .4 5 5 9、1.0 72 7± 0 .1971,截距之比 [b(50 1～ 1 0 0 0 )　　　 b(0～ 50 0 )　　 ]分别为 0 .9912± 0 .0 0 98、0 .9979± 0 .0 0 6 0 ,差异均无显著性 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　在本实验条件以及所采用的分析方法下未发现磁场对HepG2的 [Ca2 +]i产生影响     

Leukaemia, brain tumours and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: cohort study of Swiss railway employees

Aims

To investigate the relationship between extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF‐MF) exposure and mortality from leukaemia and brain tumour in a cohort of Swiss railway workers.

Methods

20 141 Swiss railway employees with 464 129 person‐years of follow‐up between 1972 and 2002 were studied. Mortality rates for leukaemia and brain tumour of highly exposed train drivers (21 μT average annual exposure) were compared with medium and low exposed occupational groups (i.e. station masters with an average exposure of 1 μT). In addition, individual cumulative exposure was calculated from on‐site measurements and modelling of past exposures.

Results

The hazard ratio (HR) for leukaemia mortality of train drivers was 1.43 (95% CI 0.74 to 2.77) compared with station masters. For myeloid leukaemia the HR of train drivers was 4.74 (95% CI 1.04 to 21.60) and for Hodgkin''s disease 3.29 (95% CI 0.69 to 15.63). Lymphoid leukaemia, non‐Hodgkin''s disease and brain tumour mortality were not associated with magnetic field exposure. Concordant results were obtained from analyses based on individual cumulative exposure.

Conclusions

Some evidence of an exposure–response association was found for myeloid leukaemia and Hodgkin''s disease, but not for other haematopoietic and lymphatic malignancies and brain tumours.     

Future needs of occupational epidemiology of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields: review and recommendations

The occupational epidemiological literature on extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) and health encompasses a large number of studies of varying design and quality that have addressed many health outcomes, including various cancers, cardiovascular disease, depression and suicide, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). At a 2006 workshop we reviewed studies of occupational EMF exposure with an emphasis on methodological weaknesses, and proposed analytical ways to address some of these. We also developed research priorities that we hope will address remaining uncertainties. Broadly speaking, extensive epidemiological research conducted during the past 20 years on occupational EMF exposure does not indicate strong or consistent associations with cancer or any other health outcomes. Inconsistent results for many of the outcomes may be attributable to numerous shortcomings in the studies, most notably in exposure assessment. There is, however, no obvious correlation between exposure assessment quality and observed associations. Nevertheless, for future research, the highest priorities emerge in both the areas of exposure assessment and investigation of ALS. To better assess exposure, we call for the development of a more complete job-exposure matrix that combines job title, work environment and task, and an index of exposure to electric fields, magnetic fields, spark discharge, contact current, and other chemical and physical agents. For ALS, we propose an international collaborative study capable of illuminating a reported association with electrical occupations by disentangling the potential roles of electric shocks, magnetic fields and bias. Such a study will potentially lead to evidence-based measures to protect public health.     

An evaluation of the existing evidence on the carcinogenic potential of extremely low frequency magnetic fields

The existing evidence suggesting a link between exposure to Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) magnetic fields and an increased incidence of cancer is reviewed and evaluated.     

电脑显示器极低频磁场的强度分析

目的　研究电脑阴极射线管显示器正前方不同距离和不同方位的极低频磁场(ELFMF)强度 ,就如何减少ELFMF的影响提出初步建议。方法　测定 2 0 0台阴极射线管显示器及10台液晶显示器的ELFMF强度。在显示器正前方距离 0～ 5 0cm ,每隔 5cm设一测定点 ,各点测定3次 ,并测定显示器不同方位 0cm处的磁场强度。结果　 38cm和 4 3cm两种阴极射线管显示器在操作电脑的习惯性位置 (30～ 4 0cm)的ELFMF强度比屏前 0cm处有明显衰减。 38cm显示器在屏前 15cm以内的ELFMF强度超过 0 4 μT ,4 3cm显示器在 10cm以内其强度超过 0 4 μT。两种显示器不同方位的测定结果显示 ,以显示器正上方的强度最大 ,38cm显示器为 (9 5 4± 0 16 ) μT ,4 3cm显示器为 (6 38± 0 16 ) μT。 结论　建议使用电脑时与显示屏保持一定的距离 ,尽量减少视频前的持续操作时间。加大各台电脑之间的距离 ,避免其相互间的干扰对人体产生更大的危害。