Morbidity experience in populations residentially exposed to 50 hz magnetic fields: methodology and preliminary findings of a cohort study.
A morbidity study of the population of a district of Rome built in part under a 60 kV electric distribution line, included 345 subjects resident in the study area in any period between 1954 and 2003, excluding those deceased before 1998. Residential magnetic field levels were estimated based on current load, line characteristics, and distance of the dwellings from the power line, and the study area was divided into sub-areas with differing magnetic field levels. Standardized morbidity ratios were computed from hospital discharge records dated 1998-2003. Non statistically significant increases were observed for all and primary cancers; primary cancers were significantly increased among subjects with > 30 years' residence and latency. A significant increase for all, primary, and secondary cancers, and a two-fold increase for ischaemic diseases, was observed in subjects in the sub-area with the highest exposure. No increase was seen in neoplastic haematological diseases.
Fazzo
Lucia
L
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, Rome, Italy. lucia.fazzo@iss.it
Tancioni
Valeria
V
Polichetti
Alessandro
A
Iavarone
Ivano
I
Vanacore
Nicola
N
Papini
Paolo
P
Farchi
Sara
S
Bruno
Caterina
C
Pasetto
Roberto
R
Borgia
Piero
P
Comba
Pietro
P
D015331:Cohort Studies; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population