Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Risk of Childhood Leukaemia: Misclassification of Exposure From the Use of the 'Distance From Power Line' Exposure Surrogate

Myron Maslanyj; Jill Simpson; Eve Roman; Joachim Schuz

doi:10.1002/bem.20465

Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Risk of Childhood Leukaemia: Misclassification of Exposure From the Use of the 'Distance From Power Line' Exposure Surrogate

Myron Maslanyj, Jill Simpson, Eve Roman, Joachim Schuz

Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A recent study examining the relationship between distance to nearby power lines and childhood cancer risk re-opened the debate about which exposure metrics are appropriate for power frequency magnetic field investigations. Using data from two large population-based UK and German studies we demonstrate that distance to power lines is a comparatively poor predictor of measured residential magnetic fields. Even at proximities of 50 m or less, the positive predictive value of having a household measurement over 0.2 mu T was only 19.4%. Clearly using distance from power lines, without taking account of other variables such as load, results in a poor proxy of residential magnetic field exposure. We conclude that Such high levels of exposure misclassification render the findings from Studies that rely on distance alone uninterpretable. Bioelectromagnetics 30:183-188, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	183-188
Number of pages	6
Journal	Bioelectromagnetics
Volume	30
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/bem.20465
Publication status	Published - Apr 2009

Keywords

EMF
childhood cancer
epidemiology
exposure assessment
CANCER
PREDICTORS
STATIONS
CHILDREN

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10.1002/bem.20465

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abstract = "A recent study examining the relationship between distance to nearby power lines and childhood cancer risk re-opened the debate about which exposure metrics are appropriate for power frequency magnetic field investigations. Using data from two large population-based UK and German studies we demonstrate that distance to power lines is a comparatively poor predictor of measured residential magnetic fields. Even at proximities of 50 m or less, the positive predictive value of having a household measurement over 0.2 mu T was only 19.4%. Clearly using distance from power lines, without taking account of other variables such as load, results in a poor proxy of residential magnetic field exposure. We conclude that Such high levels of exposure misclassification render the findings from Studies that rely on distance alone uninterpretable. Bioelectromagnetics 30:183-188, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.",

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AU - Roman, Eve

AU - Schuz, Joachim

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AB - A recent study examining the relationship between distance to nearby power lines and childhood cancer risk re-opened the debate about which exposure metrics are appropriate for power frequency magnetic field investigations. Using data from two large population-based UK and German studies we demonstrate that distance to power lines is a comparatively poor predictor of measured residential magnetic fields. Even at proximities of 50 m or less, the positive predictive value of having a household measurement over 0.2 mu T was only 19.4%. Clearly using distance from power lines, without taking account of other variables such as load, results in a poor proxy of residential magnetic field exposure. We conclude that Such high levels of exposure misclassification render the findings from Studies that rely on distance alone uninterpretable. Bioelectromagnetics 30:183-188, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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KW - epidemiology

KW - exposure assessment

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KW - STATIONS

KW - CHILDREN

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Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Risk of Childhood Leukaemia: Misclassification of Exposure From the Use of the 'Distance From Power Line' Exposure Surrogate

Abstract

Keywords

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