EMFs: Research

The weight of scientific evidence is against the electric or magnetic fields encountered in the environment causing disease.

However, the electricity industry takes any suggestions of a link to ill-health extremely seriously. For that reason, the industry supports a variety of the highest-quality scientific research projects into EMFs. The principles by which this research is selected is outlined in the document A framework for collective EMF research which is available from the link below:

A framework for collective EMF research

A selection of current projects are identified below:

THE UNITED KINGDOM CHILDHOOD CANCER STUDY (UKCCS)

This is the largest ever epidemiological study of its type of childhood cancer in the UK, looking at nearly 4000 cases of cancer over a four-year period. It is examining several other possible causes of childhood cancer as well as EMFs.

When the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee for Cancer Research (UKCCCR) was considering the design of the study in the late 1980's, the electricity industry specifically asked for magnetic fields to be included as one of the hypotheses to be tested.

The industry has since contributed over £4 million towards the study. The conduct of the study is independent of the electricity industry.

The magnetic field result was the first result from the study to be published, (December 1999). Three subsequent papers have been published.

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THE CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH GROUP (CCRG) POWERLINES STUDY

This is a computerised epidemiological study looking for any relationship between cases of childhood cancer and high-voltage power lines. Over 35,000 cases of cancer in the UK over a 30 year period will be examined.

The study is funded by the Department of Health. National Grid and several of the Regional Electricity Companies are assisting the study by providing information on the locations of power lines and historical electricity loads, and advising on and performing exposure calculations.

For more information visit the research pages of EMFs info (www.emfs.info) or the Childhood Cancer Research Group (www.ccrg.ox.ac.uk) website.

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THE COHORT OF EX-CENTRAL ELECTRICITY GENERATING BOARD WORKERS

In the late 1970s, a cohort (large sample) was set up of all the then staff of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). This included around 84,000 people. This group is being monitored for cause of death and any association with magnetic fields.

Study of this group is a collaboration between ENA members, who provide the funding and advise on and perform the exposure assessments, and the University of Birmingham Institute of Occupational Health.

Two studies have been completed into brain tumours (1997) and leukaemia (2001). No association was found in either of the studies.

Further information can be found on the research pages of EMFs info (www.emfs.info).

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PAST RESEARCH

National Grid has established a website called EMFs info (www.emfs.info), which aims to give factual, comprehensive and fair information.

The site contains a large amount of scientific information including summaries of past research and links to relevant research sites.

Further information can be found on the research pages of EMFs info (www.emfs.info).

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MOBILE PHONES AND THEIR BASE STATIONS

The ENA site and EMFs info only look at EMFs produced by electric power systems and not at mobile phones and/or their base stations.

To find out more about these systems please visit the:

Mobile Operators Association (MOA) www.mobilemastinfo.com
Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones www.iegmp.org.uk