Power Lines and Childhood Leukemia

A report from the national Radiological Protection Board this month suggests there may be a link between overhead power lines and the blood cancer leukemia in children.

The report claims that risk of contracting leukemia is increased by a factor of one in 14,000 where children are exposed to powerful electromagnetic fields such as those caused by power lines.

A spokesman for the Department of Health claimed "High level electromagnetic fields are found in only 0.5 per cent of households in the UK". The NRPB report itself also claimed "In practice, such levels of exposure are seldom encountered by the general public in the UK. The epidemiological evidence is currently not strong enough to justify a firm conclusion that such fields cause leukemia in children".

Friday, 30 March 2001