Estimating exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields near high-voltage power lines and assessment of possible increased cancer risk among Slovenian children and adolescents

PAPER manual 2023 Cohort study Effect: no_effect Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.2478/raon-2023-0002 Evidence Lab

Abstract

Estimating exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields near high-voltage power lines and assessment of possible increased cancer risk among Slovenian children and adolescents Zagar T, Valic B, Kotnik T, Korat S, Tomsic S, Zadnik V, Gajsek P. Estimating exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields near high-voltage power lines and assessment of possible increased cancer risk among Slovenian children and adolescents. Radiol Oncol. 2023 Jan 8. doi: 10.2478/raon-2023-0002. Abstract Background: Some previous research showed that average daily exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) of more than 0.3 or 0.4 μT could potentially increase risk of childhood leukaemia. Materials and methods: To allow calculations of ELF MF around high voltage (HV) power lines (PL) for the whole Slovenia, a new three-dimensional method including precision terrain elevation data was developed to calculate the long-term average ELF MF. Data on population of Slovenian children and adolescents and on cancer patients with leukaemia's aged 0-19 years, brain tumours at age 0-29, and cancer in general at age 0-14 for a 12-year period 2005-2016 was obtained from the Slovenian Cancer Registry. Results: According to the large-scale calculation for the whole country, only 0.5% of children and adolescents under the age of 19 in Slovenia lived in an area near HV PL with ELF MF density greater than 0.1 μT. The risk of cancer for children and adolescents living in areas with higher ELF MF was not significantly different from the risk of their peers. Conclusions: The new method enables relatively fast calculation of the value of low-frequency magnetic fields for arbitrary loads of the power distribution network, as the value of each source for arbitrary load is calculated by scaling the value for nominal load, which also enables significantly faster adjustment of calculated estimates in the power distribution network. Open access paper: sciendo.com

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Cohort study

Effect direction

no_effect

Population

Slovenian children and adolescents (primarily ages 0–19; some outcomes include brain tumours ages 0–29 and cancer in general ages 0–14)

Sample size

—

Exposure

ELF high-voltage power lines · long-term average (daily) exposure; cancer registry period 2005–2016

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 74% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

Nationwide calculations estimated that 0.5% of Slovenian children/adolescents (<19 years) lived near high-voltage power lines in areas with ELF magnetic field density >0.1 µT. Cancer risk among children/adolescents living in areas with higher ELF magnetic fields was not significantly different from the risk of their peers.

Outcomes measured

Childhood/adolescent leukaemia (ages 0–19)
Brain tumours (ages 0–29)
Cancer in general (ages 0–14)

Limitations

Exposure estimates were based on calculated ELF magnetic fields around high-voltage power lines (not direct personal measurements).
Only a small proportion of children/adolescents were estimated to live in areas with ELF magnetic field density >0.1 µT (0.5%), which may limit power for detecting differences.
Specific statistical methods, confounder adjustment, and effect estimates are not described in the abstract.

Suggested hubs

occupational-exposure (0)

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "study_type": "cohort",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "ELF",
        "source": "high-voltage power lines",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "long-term average (daily) exposure; cancer registry period 2005–2016"
    },
    "population": "Slovenian children and adolescents (primarily ages 0–19; some outcomes include brain tumours ages 0–29 and cancer in general ages 0–14)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Childhood/adolescent leukaemia (ages 0–19)",
        "Brain tumours (ages 0–29)",
        "Cancer in general (ages 0–14)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Nationwide calculations estimated that 0.5% of Slovenian children/adolescents (<19 years) lived near high-voltage power lines in areas with ELF magnetic field density >0.1 µT. Cancer risk among children/adolescents living in areas with higher ELF magnetic fields was not significantly different from the risk of their peers.",
    "effect_direction": "no_effect",
    "limitations": [
        "Exposure estimates were based on calculated ELF magnetic fields around high-voltage power lines (not direct personal measurements).",
        "Only a small proportion of children/adolescents were estimated to live in areas with ELF magnetic field density >0.1 µT (0.5%), which may limit power for detecting differences.",
        "Specific statistical methods, confounder adjustment, and effect estimates are not described in the abstract."
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "extremely low frequency",
        "ELF",
        "magnetic fields",
        "high-voltage power lines",
        "exposure estimation",
        "terrain elevation data",
        "Slovenia",
        "children",
        "adolescents",
        "cancer risk",
        "leukaemia",
        "brain tumours",
        "cancer registry"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "occupational-exposure",
            "weight": 0,
            "reason": null
        }
    ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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