ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2020
Electric field and air ion exposures near high voltage overhead power lines and adult cancers: a case control study across England and Wales.
Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Residential exposure to electromagnetic fields and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a dose-response meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2021Pooled it
- Small-area methods for investigation of environment and health.International journal of epidemiology · 2020Article
- Using large and complex datasets for small-area environment-health studies: from theory to practice.International journal of epidemiology · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundVarious mechanisms have been postulated to explain how electric fields emitted by high voltage overhead power lines, and the charged ions they produce, might be associated with possible adult cancer risk, but this has not previously been systematically explored in large scale epidemiological research.
methodsWe investigated risks of adult cancers in relation to modelled air ion density (per cm3) within 600 m (focusing analysis on mouth, lung, respiratory), and calculated electric field within 25 m (focusing analysis on non-melanoma skin), of high voltage overhead power lines in England and Wales, 1974-2008.
resultsWith adjustment for age, sex, deprivation and rurality, odds ratios (OR) in the highest fifth of net air ion density (0.504-1) compared with the lowest (0-0.1879) ranged from 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-1.08] for mouth cancers to 1.03 (95% CI 0.97-1.09) for respiratory system cancers, with no trends in risk. The pattern of cancer risk was similar using corona ion estimates from an alternative model proposed by others. For keratinocyte carcinoma, adjusted OR in the highest (1.06-4.11 kV/m) compared with the lowest (<0.70 kV/m) thirds of electric field strength was 1.23 (95% CI 0.65-2.34), with no trend in risk.
conclusionsOur results do not provide evidence to support hypotheses that air ion density or electric fields in the vicinity of power lines are associated with cancer risk in adults.
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Registered trials
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