WG C3.

01
REPORT

50-60 Hz magnetic fields and cancer, forty years

of research: it is time to reassure
By M. Plante. (1), J. Lambrozo (2), M. Souques (2), D.C. Brown (2), P. Arnera (2), J.A. Bulcao (2),
S. Nakasono (2)

In 1979, an epidemiological study carried out in Denver, current flowing in wires is an alternating current, the magnetic
Colorado first suggested that very weak alternating magnetic field changes direction constantly, at a frequency of 60 or 50
fields arising from electrical lines around houses was associated cycles per second (60 or 50 Hz) depending on the country. The
with an increased risk of cancer in children. The potential impact oscillating nature of magnetic fields induces voltages and currents
on public health was high, considering the fact that exposure in conductors. Computations based on anatomical models have
to power-frequency magnetic fields is omnipresent. All power shown that voltages induced in the brain and the heart tissue by a
transmission and distribution networks, domestic and industrial typical residential ambient field of
wiring, and all kinds of electrical equipment give off magnetic 0.1 µT magnetic field at 60 Hz is in the order of 0.001 mV/m.
fields. The hypothesis was taken seriously and substantial research From a biological point of view, this is an extremely weak voltage.
budgets have been devoted not only to answering the important
question raised by this study but more broadly to identify all The first effect known to occur in humans appears at induced
other potential health effects of magnetic fields. Since 1979, an voltages of about 100 to 200 mV/m (1), an intensity which is five
exceptional number of scientific studies have been published orders of magnitude higher than the induced field at 0.1 µT,
worldwide. In 2007, the World Health Organization published corresponding to magnetic field levels of 10,000 to 15,000 µT. It
one of the most comprehensive review so far. The present article appears in the form of a faint flickering visual sensation called
summarizes important facts regarding the interaction between a magnetophosphenes. This effect results from altering neurons
magnetic field and the human body and the key findings from activity in the retina of the eye. The phenomenon is considered
this extensive research looking for a possible link with cancer. harmless and occurs occasionally during magnetic resonance
imaging procedures. The threshold needed to provoke a direct
Static fields +50/60 Hz alternating fields nerve stimulation is much higher at around 5 V/m.
Earth natural MF Average MF from electricity in Clearly, from both, a physical and a biophysical point of view, it is
= 25 to 65 µT homes = 0,05 - 0,5 µT not reasonable to expect any particular biological effect to occur
Suggested limit for cardiac Typical worker exposure at typical residential magnetic field levels.
implants = 500 µT = 1 – 1,000 µT
Typical household fridge Suggested limit for cardiac
magnet = 5,000 µT implants = 100 µT What triggered the idea that
Recommended limit for the
general public = 400 000 µT
Recommended limit for the
general public = 200 µT
residential magnetic fields would
Recommended limit for workers Recommended limit for workers increase the risk of cancer?
=2T = 1,000 µT
MF inside a MRI (magnetic First known effect Humans have been exposed to alternating magnetic fields ever
resonance imaging) = 1 - 3 T (magnetophosphenes) in since electricity became common use more than a century ago.
Human body tolerance humans = 15,000 µT Over that period of time, there has been no anecdotal evidence or
= 8 - 10 T Human body tolerance > scientific evidence of any kind suggesting that magnetic fields at
100,000 µT home or in the workplace could be detrimental to human health
Magnetic fields : some references and certainly no suggestion that they could be carcinogenic. In
1 tesla (T) = 1,000,000 microteslas (µT) particular, health surveillance programs of electrical workers
chronically exposed to magnetic fields of much higher intensity
Magnetic fields and the human body (up to 1,000 µT) did not reveal any harmful effects.
Unlike most carcinogens, the hypothesis that magnetic fields
The intensity of the earth’s natural static magnetic field to which
could be a human carcinogen was not triggered by an unusually
everyone is exposed is about 50 microteslas (µT). It varies from
high incidence of a particular cancer among a group of
25 µT at the equator to 65 µT close to the poles. Unlike many
individuals exposed to high fields. Neither was it suspected on
species, humans lack any specialized organs to detect the natural
the basis of any scientific observations from experimental studies
magnetic field. The human body is more or less transparent to
or biophysical considerations. The hypothesis was generated by a
the magnetic field and can tolerate static fields up to a few teslas
so-called “hypothesis generating” epidemiological study carried
(one tesla equals 1,000,000 µT) without any adverse effects.
out in Denver, Colorado in 1979 (2). The authors were looking for
Magnetic resonance imaging requires such fields. They are well
possible environmental factors around the homes of children who
tolerated and are not known to induce any particular acute or
had cancer. They reported a statistically significant association
chronic damage to tissues.
between the presence of a dense electrical network around houses
In homes, the use of electricity produces magnetic fields but at and the risk of various childhood cancers including leukemia.
much lower levels, typically between 0.05 to 0.5 µT, a few hundred The magnetic field produced in houses by the current flowing
times weaker than the earth’s natural field. However, since the in the wires was estimated to be about 0.2 µT and the authors
(1) Convenor CIGRE WG C3.01 EMF and Health (2) Member of the WG C3.01 suggested it might be the reason for this association.
Corresponding address: [Link]@[Link] The design of the original Denver study was exploratory by

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nature and subject to many possible sources of error, a common 0.4 µT was reported in 2001 (5). However, an updated pooling was
situation with epidemiological studies. published in 2010 which included new studies (6). The association
Despite the scepticism, the study was given very serious was weaker and was no longer statistically significant.
consideration and led to a vast international research effort In 2014, an exceptionally large study carried out in England
including state of the art procedures for testing carcinogenicity. showed that the association between the presence of a high
voltage transmission lines and childhood leukemia observed in
the 1960-70s was no longer present after the 1980s. The authors
Key findings regarding concluded that past observations of associations between the
carcinogenicity presence of powerlines and childhood leukemia almost certainly
cannot be attributed to powerline-generated magnetic fields but
most likely to the evolving population characteristics of people
1. No evidence of general carcinogenicity living near powerlines.
Magnetic fields penetrate the body easily without any significant
distortion and are not weakened by the presence of biological
tissues. Consequently, all tissues and cells of the body are exposed
to the same magnetic field level. If 50/60 Hz magnetic fields were
a carcinogen, we should expect an increased incidence of cancer
for a majority of tissues and cell lines, much like it is observed
with penetrating ionizing radiation like gamma rays and X rays.
The control mechanisms of cell differentiation and proliferation
that prevent the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell
are very similar across cell lines and across species (3). Generally,
if a carcinogen reaches a particular tissue and creates sufficient
damage to these control mechanisms, cancer risk increases in that
tissue.
More than 200 epidemiological studies have been published on 1979 – 2014 Progressive decrease of the association between childhood leukemia
the possible association between magnetic fields and various and 50/60 Hz magnetic fields as the epidemiological study methodology improved
and the statistical power of the studies increased. The Wertheimer study was the
cancers. Most epidemiological studies were carried out among first study which alerted the scientific community in 1979. Ahlbom was the first
exposed workers where average fields are up to 20 times the meta-analysis combining studies published between 1993 and 1999. Kheifets is
residential exposure with short exposure periods up to 1,000 another meta-analysis which included studies published after 2000. Bunch is the last
large-scale study published available at the time of the writing of the present article.
times the residential exposure level. All common types of cancer
have been examined.
Those studies failed to show an increased risk of cancer. One In summary, not only did the search for a carcinogenic effect
of the largest study – if not the largest - carried out among a in various tissues fail but the evidence for an association with
collection of over than 225,000 electrical utility workers looked childhood cancer weakened considerably after conducting more
at past exposure to magnetic and electric fields of 4,154 cases sophisticated and larger studies.
of cancer (4). The cancer risk (all types of cancer) among the
highest exposed group was no different from the lowest exposed 3. No carcinogenicity in animals.
group. Other studies compared cancer mortality rates of exposed
workers of electrical utilities from various countries including Human beings are mammals and their respective physiology is
United States, Canada, France and United Kingdom to the general very similar. It is no surprise that among the hundred or so human
public cancer mortality rates. carcinogens confirmed so far, all of them, with no exception, have
been shown to be carcinogenic to animals. For physical agents
Results consistently showed cancer rates 20 to 30 percent lower like ultraviolet light or ionizing radiation, extrapolation from
among workers, a normal observation known as the “healthy animals to humans has been shown to be more reliable than for
worker effect”. chemicals. Indeed, the damage to the cell is the same and does not
depend on potential metabolic differences between species that
2. No confirmation of the original findings sometimes occur with chemicals. For a physical agent, we should
also expect that the dose at which an eventual carcinogenic
About 40 epidemiological studies using more sophisticated
effect is observed in animals is generally comparable to the dose
methodology have tried to replicate the original observation.
producing a carcinogenic effect in humans.
Instead of relying on the mere presence of electrical lines around
the house, magnetic fields were actually measured inside the Magnetic field carcinogenicity has been extensively tested on
homes, sometimes in the child’s bedroom or directly with a animals. Long term animal studies were carried out using
dosimeter worn by the child for 48 hours. The largest studies standard protocols (National Toxicology Program) with rats and
carried out in United States, Canada and United Kingdom failed mice. Some studies have been replicated in different laboratories
to show a clear association between the measured magnetic around the world. Animals were exposed typically for two years,
field and childhood leukemia. These studies also tried to about 20 hours per day. The highest exposure group varied from
replicate the original finding by using the same approach based 1,000 to 5,000 µT. These unusually high exposure levels did not
on the description of the electrical lines around the house. No cause any signs of general toxicity. Up to 50 organs have been
association was found. Then, epidemiologists attempted to pool examined for the presence of tumors.
available study results. By transforming the original data to make Results are highly consistent: overall, no evidence of an increase
them more comparable, a statistically significant association in the incidence of benign or malignant tumours including
between childhood leukemia and exposure to field levels above leukemia was reported. •••

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Another hypothesis put forward is that magnetic fields do not and toxicological studies available at the time. Possible health
increase the incidence of cancer themselves, but rather modify effects were examined for each of the following categories:
the effect of another carcinogen. Over 20 animal studies have neurobehavior; neuroendocrine system; neurodegenerative
been carried out so far to test this hypothesis, subjecting animals disorder; cardiovascular disorders; immune systems and
to a known carcinogen and then to magnetic fields. As a whole, haematology; reproduction and development and cancer (1).
the results are negative. Overall, no consistent adverse findings were identified and
Considering the very high sensitivity (the ability to detect an no particular health effect has been reported as likely to occur
effect if it is present) of long term animal studies, the absence at field levels below the current exposure limits recommend
of any carcinogenic effects constitutes strong evidence against by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
carcinogenicity in humans. It is particularly compelling since Protection (ICNIRP). These limits are 200 µT for the public and
testing was done at field levels many thousands times higher than 1,000 µT for the workers.
typical residential field.

4. No signs of general toxicity at very high level

Conclusions
The amount of data generated by this international research
Carcinogenicity is only one of many aspects of the toxicity of
effort is exceptional. Independent experimental lines of evidence
a particular chemical or physical agent. Carcinogens also cause
from the physics, the biology and the toxicology, failed to support
an array of chronic or acute pathologies at similar doses. For
the hypothesis raised by the 1979 epidemiological study. Large
example, solar irradiation causes skin cancer but also causes
and sophisticated epidemiological studies failed to confirm the
burns, premature aging of the skin and photosensitization.
original finding.
Cigarette smoking causes cancer but also chronic bronchitis,
vascular and heart diseases. Asbestos causes cancer but also Cancer is not a statistical or mathematical abstraction. If power
pulmonary fibrosis. frequency magnetic fields were a carcinogen, they would have
to damage significantly the cell division process of lymphocyte
Hundreds of studies were conducted on animals. No signs
precursors in the bone marrow of children and it would have to
of general of specific toxicity have been reported in animals
do so at extremely low field levels (under 1 µT) and spare all other
chronically exposed for two years from a few weeks of age to
tissues. Magnetic fields would have to do that by an unknown
field levels up to 5,000 µT (50,000 times higher than the average
mechanism, leaving no discernible effect at the cell level and
residential level ). Some studies included exposure during
without inducing any other pathology even at doses tens of
perinatal and juvenile exposure. Comparisons of group mean
thousand times higher. It would be the first human carcinogen
body weights and body weight gains demonstrated no significant
not to show a similar effect in animals. It would be the first
differences between any group exposed to magnetic fields and the
carcinogen to act exclusively in children. It would also be the
controls. No signs of stress and no difference in behaviour were
first carcinogen for which the effect decreases with intensity and
noted between the exposure groups.
duration of exposure since no evidence of carcinogenicity have
A few experimental studies have been carried out on human been identified among exposed workers.
volunteers at high field levels (100 to 3,000 µT). The subjects were
Clearly, those assumptions are not reasonable. We can safely
not able to perceive the presence of the fields, no adverse effects
assume that the hypothesis raised by the Denver study in 1979 is
nor signs of toxicity were reported.
very likely to be a false alarm, a situation which is not uncommon
Thus, the absence of any toxicity at levels up to 50,000 times with exploratory epidemiological studies. The exceptional
the average field in homes (0.1 µT) makes a carcinogenic effect amount of data accumulated over the last 35 years confirms
extremely unlikely. what common sense would have suggested: power-frequency
residential magnetic field levels are much too weak to influence
5. Absence of a plausible biological human biology. Recommending preventive or precautionary
mechanism. measures is not justified. It would do more harm than good. It is
time to be reasonable and reassure the public.
As with all known carcinogens, if magnetic fields were
Acknowlegments: The authors are grateful to Hayley Tripp for
carcinogenic to humans, we should expect to detect some of
helpful discussions. 
the primary or elemental damage to the cells that led to the
transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell. Over the years,
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