Residential proximity to high-voltage power lines and risk of childhood hematological malignancies.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiologic studies of electromagnetic fields and childhood cancers have focused on home exposure. The authors investigated whether residence in districts near high-voltage power lines is associated with childhood hematological malignancies, using small area analysis.


METHODS
Among 50,000 children in a city in Japan, 14 cases aged younger than 15 years were diagnosed with these malignancies in the period from 1992 through 2001. A total of 294 districts constituting this city were classified according to their proximity to high-voltage power lines (either 66 kV or 220 kV). Mantel-Haenszel rate ratio is used to calculate incidence rate ratio and its 95% confidence interval (CI).


RESULTS
Compared to districts of which no area fell within 300 m of high-voltage power lines, districts in which at least 50% of the area fell within 300 m of high-voltage power lines demonstrated an increased risk (incidence rate ratio: 2.2; 95% CI: 0.5-9.0). The association was strengthened for homes in which patients had resided for the longest interval of their lives (incidence rate ratio: 3.4; 95% CI: 0.9-13.2). Point-in-time measurements showed no increase in magnetic field levels for patient homes in districts near the lines.


CONCLUSIONS
An increased, albeit nonsignificant, risk of childhood hematological malignancies associated with residential proximity to high-voltage power lines warrants further investigations.
Mizoue
Tetsuya
T
Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashiku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Onoe
Yasuhiro
Y
Moritake
Hiroshi
H
Okamura
Jun
J
Sokejima
Shigeru
S
Nitta
Hiroshi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male