Non-thermal EMF effectsIs it safe to live under power lines, use a cell phone, or sleep under an electric blanket at night?
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The potential harmful effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) continue to be debated, especially their role in causing cancer. Numerous research reports over the last 40 years have claimed that children who live near power lines and adults whose occupations expose them to high electromagnetic fields (e.g., linemen, electrical workers) have an increased risk of leukemia and other neoplasms. Irradiation by cell phones has been blamed for the development of intracranial gliomas and schwannomas, as well as diminished fertility (if you carry one in your pocket). Even electric blankets and household appliances such as electric shavers, computers, microwave ovens, televisions, and washing machines have come under scrutiny as possible environmental hazards. At the same time, an overwhelming number of other scientific studies have found no justification for these concerns.
How then, do we balance these competing claims, and what is a "regular" person to do?
First, let me go on record as saying that I do agree with expert panels and official statements from virtually all the major world government and scientific organizations (many referenced below, up to date through 2020) - there is no conclusive proof that the electromagnetic fields at levels most humans routinely experience in their everyday lives creates any significant adverse health effects. And for those of us working in and around MRI, where the typical exposures are low and of relatively short duration, I believe we should have no worries at all about non-thermal biological effects.
In order to know how to live and recommend policy decisions in light of some present uncertainty, the concept of "prudent avoidance" put forth by Professor Granger Morgan over 20 years ago may prove useful. Under this doctrine, we should attempt to incorporate the current level of evidence (including worst case scenarios) into our decision making, such as our choice of home, job, or activity. For example, suppose there is some evidence suggests that living under power lines might increase the risk of childhood cancer incidence from 1:10,000 to 3:10,000 per year. This degree of increased risk should be incorporated into an array of factors used to make decisions concerning what constitutes an acceptable health risk in daily living. Other decisions (e.g., riding a motorcycle, smoking, not exercising) may prove much more important in determining one's overall health risk than whether one chooses to live under power lines, work in a magnet factory, or sleep under an electric blanket at night.
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As for me, I live far away from overhead power lines, but have worked thousands of hours in the MR center inside the 5-Gauss line. I press my cell phone firmly against my ear and don't think twice about standing near the microwave oven to watch my bowl of soup heat up for lunch. During the winter, I sleep next to my wife, Jeanine, under a soft, nonelectric blanket and a comforter. Not for philosophic or scientific reasons -- I just like it that way.
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Jeanine, sine qua non
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References
Belpomme D, Hardell L, Belyaev I, et al. Thermal and non-thermal health effects of low intensity non-ionizing radiation: an international perspective. Environ Pollution 2018; 242:643-658. [DOI link] (Just to be fair, so you can hear the minority side, that the non-thermal effects of EMFs can be important, at least for mobile phone and long-term exposures)
Benson VS, Pirie K, Schüz J, et al. Mobile phone use and risk of brain neoplasms and other cancers: prospective study. Int J Epidemiol 2013; 42:792-802.
Cardis E, Deltour I, Vrijheid M, et al. (2010). Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case‐control study. International Journal of Epidemiology 2010; 39:675–694.
Cogliano VJ, Baan R, Straff K, et al. Preventable exposures associated with human cancers. J Natl Cancer Inst 2011; 103:1827-1839. [DOI link]
European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). Potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). European Commission, 2015. [DOI link]
Frei P, Poulsen AH, Johansen CC, et al. Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumors: update of Danish cohort study. Br Med J 2011; 343:d6387 [DOI LINK]
IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety. Expert Reviews. Available at [this link]. (Comprehensive listing of over 90 high quality expert reviews by various consensus panels and government agencies world-wide published between 2010 and 2020.)
Morgan MG. Electric and magnetic fields from 60 Hertz electric power. What do we know about possible health risks? US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). February 1991. Available at [this link]. (Presents Professor Granger Morgan’s concept of “Prudent Avoidance”, now a mainstay of risk management theory).
SSM’s Scientific Council on Electromagnetic Fields. Report number 2020:04: Recent research on EMF and health risk. Available at [this link].
US Food & Drug Administration. Review of published literature between 2008 and 2018 of relevance to radio frequency radiation and cancer. February 2020. Available at [this link]
Belpomme D, Hardell L, Belyaev I, et al. Thermal and non-thermal health effects of low intensity non-ionizing radiation: an international perspective. Environ Pollution 2018; 242:643-658. [DOI link] (Just to be fair, so you can hear the minority side, that the non-thermal effects of EMFs can be important, at least for mobile phone and long-term exposures)
Benson VS, Pirie K, Schüz J, et al. Mobile phone use and risk of brain neoplasms and other cancers: prospective study. Int J Epidemiol 2013; 42:792-802.
Cardis E, Deltour I, Vrijheid M, et al. (2010). Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case‐control study. International Journal of Epidemiology 2010; 39:675–694.
Cogliano VJ, Baan R, Straff K, et al. Preventable exposures associated with human cancers. J Natl Cancer Inst 2011; 103:1827-1839. [DOI link]
European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). Potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). European Commission, 2015. [DOI link]
Frei P, Poulsen AH, Johansen CC, et al. Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumors: update of Danish cohort study. Br Med J 2011; 343:d6387 [DOI LINK]
IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety. Expert Reviews. Available at [this link]. (Comprehensive listing of over 90 high quality expert reviews by various consensus panels and government agencies world-wide published between 2010 and 2020.)
Morgan MG. Electric and magnetic fields from 60 Hertz electric power. What do we know about possible health risks? US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). February 1991. Available at [this link]. (Presents Professor Granger Morgan’s concept of “Prudent Avoidance”, now a mainstay of risk management theory).
SSM’s Scientific Council on Electromagnetic Fields. Report number 2020:04: Recent research on EMF and health risk. Available at [this link].
US Food & Drug Administration. Review of published literature between 2008 and 2018 of relevance to radio frequency radiation and cancer. February 2020. Available at [this link]
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