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Wire codes, magnetic fields, and childhood cancer
L I Kheifets1, R Kavet, S S Sussman
1Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA. kheifets@eprinet.epri.com
Bioelectromagnetics
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Childhood cancer associations with power frequency magnetic fields are inconsistent. Wire codes, an exposure surrogate, showed a trend with measured fields, but overlap limits definitive conclusions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental epidemiology
- Electromagnetic field exposure assessment
Background:
- Childhood cancer has shown modest associations with wire codes, a surrogate for power frequency magnetic fields (PFMF).
- Associations with measured PFMF are less consistent, prompting further investigation into exposure assessment methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the population distribution of wire codes and their relationship with various measured magnetic field metrics.
- To evaluate the consistency and strength of associations between wire codes, measured fields, and childhood cancer.
Main Methods:
- Population data on wire codes and magnetic field measurements were analyzed across geographic areas.
- Statistical relationships between wire code categories and different magnetic field metrics (e.g., average, extremes) were examined.
Main Results:
- A trend of decreasing prevalence from low to high wire code categories was observed within areas, though inter-area differences exist.
- A positive relationship was found between average measured fields and wire codes, but with significant overlap across categories.
- Better discrimination between high and low wire code categories was achieved when examining the extremes of measurement values.
Conclusions:
- Wire codes demonstrate a trend with measured magnetic fields, but overlap complicates direct interpretation.
- Differences in associations between wire codes and measured fields regarding childhood cancer are not explained by measurement instability or intermittent fields.