EnviroHealth Review, Edition Eight
September/October 2000
(edited by orange editorial board)The purpose of this page is to expose middle and high school teachers to current environmental health news and to provide Internet resources related to environmental health sciences.
Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF) and Health
Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) arise from the motion of electric charges. EMFs are emitted from devices that produce, transmit, or use electric power including power lines, transmitters and microwave ovens. The intensity of the field drops off as distance from the source increases. EMFs in the environment are very complicated since we are exposed to EMFs from a large number of sources every day. Fields change both in time and space. A person's EMF exposure depends to a large degree on what he or she is doing in the field at the time.
For the past few years, public concern has been growing over the possible health effects of EMFs produced by power transmission and distribution lines and cell phone towers located near residential areas. Over the past 15 years, there have been numerous studies of children and adults evaluating residential exposures to electric and magnetic fields in relation to the risk of cancer. Recently, research has focused on magnetic fields.
To evaluate the possible effects of magnetic fields on human health, scientists rely on epidemiological studies. These studies are often difficult to conduct due to the need to enroll a large number of subjects to detect potential small increases in risk; the difficulty in estimating exposure after it has occurred; the necessity for minimizing selection bias; the need to obtain high participation rates; the effort to minimize the number of surrogate, or next-of-kin respondents; and the necessity for considering potential confounding variables.
Some hundred epidemiological and experimental studies concerning electromagnetic field exposure and malignant diseases, mainly cancer, have been published. Experiments have shown that several aspects of the fields may be relevant to biological effects. Some epidemiological studies found a link between exposure to power-frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) and certain types of cancer, primarily leukemia and brain cancer, but studies have also been done concerning lung, testicular, and breast cancer. Other studies have found no such link. Laboratory researchers are studying how such an association is biologically possible. At this point, there is no scientific consensus about the EMF issue-except a general agreement that better information is needed. A national EMF research effort is under way, and major study results are expected in the next few years.
Cellular Phone Antennas and Human Health
Two sites which address the issue of whether base station transmitter/antennas for
cellular phones, PCS phones, and other types of portable transceivers are a risk to human
health provide interesting reading, since many schools, homes and businesses currently
have cell phone antennas located nearby.
http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/cell-phone-health-FAQ/toc.htm
http://www3.org/health/orange/index.htm
We invite you to post comments concerning resources and issues presented in this EnviroHealth Review by posting them on the "teacher to teacher" page of the EnviroHealth Link Web site: http://www.mpt.org/learningworks/teachers/ehl/teacherbb1.html
Biological effects news 2000
Return to orange index
Dr. Neil Cherry's paper on base stations
This site is evolving therefore you may wish to use refresh button each visit.
