Radiation literature survey

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This case-control study investigated the association between ELF MF exposure and two childhood cancers (leukaemia and cancer of the central nervous system, CNS). There was a non-significant, slightly increased risk associated with living within 50 metres (m) of high voltage power lines and childhood leukaemia (odds ratio, OR = 1.4, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 0.7, 2.7). There was no evidence of increased risk for childhood leukaemia at distances beyond 50 m or CNS cancer at any distance. The authors concluded that there is at most weak support for increased risk of childhood leukaemia for children living within 50 m of high voltage power lines.

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This ecological study compared mobile phone ownership with the incidence of brain cancer in Australia. In the study, brain cancer incidence rates from 1982 to 2012 are compared with the number of mobile phone accounts in the Australian population from 1987 to 2012. The percentage of the population having mobile phone accounts increased from 0% in 1987 to 94% in 2014. During the 30 year period age-adjusted (adult) brain cancer incidence rates increased slightly in males but were stable in females. Significant increases in brain cancer incidence were observed only in the elderly (aged ≥ 70 years), but the increase in incidence in this age group began from 1982, before the introduction of mobile phones. The study also modelled the expected incidence assuming risk estimates of 1.5 in ever-users of mobile phones, and 2.5 in a proportion of 'heavy users', assuming a 10 year latency period between use and incidence of brain cancer. The authors concluded that after nearly 30 years of mobile phone use in Australia among millions of people, there is no evidence of any rise in any age group that could be plausibly attributed to mobile phones.

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There have been a number of ecological studies internationally that have compared the incidence of brain cancer with the number of mobile phone accounts over time. In Australia, Dobes et al (2011a, 2011b) reported no overall increase in the incidence of brain tumours between 2000-2008 in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. There was, however, a significant increase in malignant brain tumours which was largely due to an increase in the ≥ 65-year age group, consistent with the Chapman et al results. Although the Chapman study does not investigate brain cancer sub-types it mentions that 80% of all brain cancers are gliomas.

The ecological studies on mobile phone use and brain cancer have been evaluated by a number of recent authoritative reviews (IARC, 2013 (PDF 6.1 mb); ARPANSA, 2014; SCENIHR, 2015 (PDF 5.1 mb)). Overall, as pointed out by the SCENIHR review, the ecological studies consistently show little indication of an increase in the age groups of most active mobile phone users and steady weak increases only in the elderly. It must be noted that overall these ecological studies are limited in many ways and provide the least evidence for a causal association.

Similar to the Chapman study, two previous studies have modelled the data to predict the expected brain tumour rates assuming increased risk estimates between mobile phone use and brain tumour (Deltour, 2012; Little 2012). Similar to the Chapman study, the previous studies showed that if the increased risk estimates were true than one would expect a much higher brain tumour incidence than what is currently observed.

Some case-control studies have reported possible associations between heavy mobile phone users and brain tumour. Based largely on this limited evidence the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified radiofrequency fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans. More rigorous long-term studies are being coordinated by the World Health Organization and Australia is taking part in this research program.

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This measurement study investigated the environmental exposure from mobile phone base stations. The RF exposure from GSM mobile phone base stations operating in the 900 MHz band in 34 different environments in Australia and Belgium were measured using a personal dosimeter and compared (in terms of electric fields). The study found that personal exposures in urban environment were higher than rural or suburban environments. The exposure levels in city centre, bus, and railway station in urban environment were among the locations associated with highest personal exposures in Australia. The exposure levels in most environments were however significantly lower in Australia compared to Belgium. The authors reported that personal RF exposure levels in the Australian environment are well below the limits for the general public in the Australian RF Standard.

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This is a review by the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSM) on scientific studies published from October 2014 to September 2015 that investigated electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health. For static fields, the new epidemiological studies confirm earlier studies that there is an association between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and acute effects. For extremely low frequency (ELF) fields, an association between childhood leukaemia and elevated level of ELF magnetic fields (MF) continutes to be observed, but a causal relationship has still not been established. For RF fields, a new large Norwegian study did not find that maternal mobile phone use during pregnancy causes adverse health effects on the mother’s reproductive health. Overall, the report by SSM did not reveal any new findings to support a causal association between EMF exposure and adverse health effects.

Recent Research on EMF and Health Risk

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The National Toxicology Program (NTP) in the US is currently conducting a series of radiofrequency (RF) cancer studies in rats. The current report presents partial findings from the overall project, specifically looking at brain and heart cancer (glioma and schwannoma). In the study rats were exposed in utero and continuing throughout their lifetimes to GSM or CDMA RF at 900 megahertz (MHz), for 18 hours/day (10 minutes on/10 minutes off), 7 days/week, at a whole-body specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0 (sham), 1.5, 3, or 6 W/kg. The report found that the incidence of glioma in the brain and schwannoma in the heart of male rats exposed to RF from both CDMA and GSM type mobile phone systems was generally comparable with baseline incidence apart from schwannoma in the heart for male rats exposed to CDMA at 6 W/kg. The report concludes that these findings appear to support the International Agency for Research on Cancer classification of RF as a possible carcinogen.

Report of Partial findings from the National Toxicology Program Carcinogenesis Studies of Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation in

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There have been a number of animal studies that have investigated whether exposure to RF from mobile phones causes cancer (ICNIRP, 2013; SCENIHR, 2013). Overall a considerable number of well-performed animal studies have not shown mobile phone RF to cause cancer.

The conclusion of the current NTP report does not reflect the results reported which showed only one statistically significant association from the multiple endpoints tested which was schwannoma in the heart for male rats exposed to CDMA at 6 W/kg. It is important to note that this level of exposure is three times the SAR limit of 2 W/kg for the general public in the Australian Standard.

All other endpoints that were reported were not statistically significant and fell within the historical baseline incidence for these diseases in all animals from all studies undertaken by the NTP.

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This is a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies investigating parental occupational exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) and childhood leukaemia. The meta-analysis included data from one cohort and 11 case-control studies. The authors report that overall neither maternal nor paternal occupational ELF MF exposure was associated with childhood leukaemia. The majority of studies included in the meta-analysis assessed ELF MF exposure by classifying the occupation of the subjects (job title). In order to decrease the potential of misclassification of ELF MF exposure the authors recommend further studies with exposure assessment that includes measurements.

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The World Health Organization reviewed the epidemiological studies investigating parental occupational exposure to ELF MF and childhood leukaemia in 2007 (WHO, 2007 (PDF 4.0 mb)). The WHO review concluded that studies on parental occupational exposure to ELF MF in the preconception period or during gestation are methodologically weak and the results are not consistent.

Studies published since the WHO review have been highlighted in previous monthly reports. These include a German case-control study by Hug et al (2009) which did not find an association between preconceptional parental ELF MF exposure and childhood cancer (November 2009 report). An Australian study by Reid et al also did not find an increased risk of leukaemia in offspring of parents with occupational exposure to ELF EMF (September 2011 report).

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This case-control study investigated the association between mobile phone use and parotid gland tumours. A total of 26 cases and 61 controls (all from the same hospital) were recruited in the study. The information on mobile phone use was obtained via questionnaire. Participants were considered exposed if the daily mobile phone use was more than 1 hour. The authors reported a statistically significant association between mobile phone use and parotid gland tumours (odds ratio, OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.07 – 8.03). The authors however noted that the results need to be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size.

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This is a cross-sectional study that investigated whether mobile phone use affects heart rate variability. A total of 148 healthy participants were included in the study. Based on the duration of mobile phone use, the participants were categorised into four groups: less than 30 minutes per day (min/d), 30-60 min/d, more than 60 min/d and no mobile phone use. The cardiovascular function of the participants was assessed via electrocardiogram. The authors reported that the heart rate variability was significantly increased in the three groups who used mobile phones.

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This is an ecological study that investigated whether there is an increase in incidence of cancer of the central nervous system (CNS) since the introduction of mobile phones in Japan. The information on mobile phone use was gathered via internet polling from 7,550 volunteers who were born before 2005. The incidence in CNS cancer has increased significantly in men and women aged 20-29 years (annual percent change, APC = 3.9%, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 1.6 – 6.3 in men and APC = 12.3%, 95% CI = 3.3-22.1) and 30-39 years (APC = 2.7%, 95% CI = 1.3 – 4.1 in men and APC = 3.0%, 95% CI = 1.4 – 4.7 in women) from 1993 to 2010 in Japan. The authors also calculated the expected incidence assuming that the relative risk was 1.4 for those who used mobile phones more than 1640 h cumulatively (classified as heavy use) as reported in the INTERPHONE study. The observed incidence was lower than the expected incidence if the association reported in the INTERPHONE study was true. Hence the authors concluded that the increase in incidence of CNS cancer among young people in Japan was unlikely to be caused by heavy mobile phone use.

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This is a case-control study which investigated whether the symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) are associated with melatonin levels. Thirty people with EHS (cases) were matched to twenty five healthy individuals (controls). The level of melatonin and sleep quality (assessed via questionnaires) were compared in the two groups. No significant difference was found in the melatonin levels in the two groups despite the difference in the sleep quality (people with EHS reported lower sleep quality).

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