ID Number		2035
Study Type		Epidemiology
Model		EMF exposure in the environment from overhead power lines (60 Hz), electrical wiring and other sources (e.g., radial tires) and correlation with health effects.
Details		School teachers at a single California Middle School diagnosed with cancer (n = 16 out of 137 teachers total) between 1998 - 2005, representing an almost 3 fold increase over the expected number. The observed/expected risk ratio was 9.8 (p = 0.0008) for malignant melanoma, 13.3 (P = 0.0098) for thyroid cancer, and 9.2 (P = 0.019) for uterine cancer. Although measurements of 60 Hz field did not correlate with cancer incidence, the authors report higher frequency voltage transient emissions from the classroom wiring did show a positive correlation (0 = 0.00000000071). The authors conclude that a single year of employment at this school increased a teacher's cancer risk by 21%. A critical response to the authors study from the California Cancer Registry and a Reply by the authors was also published. In another study, US census records (1920-1970) were used to suggest increased death rates associated with increased electrical (magnetic field) and radiofrequency emissions. AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT: Milham 2004 (IEEE #6699): Three cases of male breast cancer were diagnosed among a small group of men who worked in a basement office of a multi-story office building. This office was adjacent to an electrical switchgear room which generated high magnetic fields in their work space. The risk of male breast cancer in this group was increased about 1OO-fold(observe three cases, expect 0.03 cases; P <0.(]f)ggJ). Since 1991, 15 epidemiologic studies have associated male breast cancer with exposure to electromagnetic field. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Milham, Hatfield, Tell 1999 (IEEE #6700): Magnetic fields emanate from radial tires due to the presence of reinforcing belts which are made of magnetized steel wire. When these tires spin, they generate alternating magnetic fields of extremely low frequency (ELF), usually below 20 Hz. The fundamental frequency of these fields is determined by tire rotation rate and has a sinusoidal waveform with a high harmonic content. The static field of radial tires can exceed 500 mT at the tread, and the tire-generated alternating fields can exceed 2.0 mT at seat level in the passenger compartment of vehicles. Degaussing the tires reduces both the static and alternating fields to low levels, but the fields increase gradually over time after degaussing. The tire-generated fields are below the frequencies detected by most of the magnetic field meters used in previous studies of power frequency magnetic field health effects. If these fields are biologically active, failure to detect them could compromise exposure assessments associated with epidemiologic studies. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Milham and Ossiander 2001 (IEEE #6701): A peak in childhood leukemia, ages two through four, emerged de novo in the 1920s in the United Kingdom and slightly later in the United States (US). Electrification in US farm and rural areas lagged behind urban areas until 1956. In recent years, childhood leukemia has been associated with residential electromagnetic fields. During 19281932, in states with above 75% of residences served by electricity, leukemia mortality increased with age for single years 04, while states with electrification levels below 75% showed a decreasing trend with age (P = 0.009). During 19491951, all states showed a peak in leukemia mortality at ages 24. At ages 01, leukemia mortality was not related to electrification levels. At ages 24, there was a 24% (95% confidence interval (CI), 8%41%) increase in leukemia mortality for a 10% increase in percent of homes served by electricity. The childhood leukemia peak of common acute lymphoblastic leukemia may be attributable to electrification. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Milham and Stetzer 2016 (IEEE #6704): Specific kilohertz frequencies in the environment from variable frequency drives on electric motors at a liquid natural gas compressor and storage station on a natural gas pipeline seem to be associated with the development of a very rare cancer, ocular melanoma, at a high school and in individuals living or working in a neighborhood near the plant. Primary neutral-to-earth oscilloscope voltage waveforms and spectra measured near the high school were nearly identical to the ground voltage 2.3 miles away at the gas pipeline. Peak frequencies of 7440 and 19,980 Hz were found at both places. The electric utility practice of using the earth as a conduit for return currents facilitated this exposure. AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT: Milham 2013 (IEEE #6705): The epidemics of obesity and diabetes most apparent in recent years had their origins with Thomas Edisons development of distributed electricity in New York City in 1882. His original direct current (DC) generators suffered serious commutator brush arcing which is a major source of high-frequency voltage transients (dirty electricity). From the onset of the electrical grid, electrified populations have been exposed to dirty electricity. Diesel generator sets are a major source of dirty electricity today and are used almost universally to electrify small islands and places unreachable by the conventional electric grid. This accounts for the fact that diabetes prevalence, fasting plasma glucose and obesity are highest on small islands and other places electrified by generator sets and lowest in places with low levels of electrification like sub-Saharan Africa and east and Southeast Asia. AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT: Milham 2014 (IEEE #6708): The expected decline of health indicators with economic recessions and improvement with economic growth in the nineteenth century Sweden was reversed in the twentieth century, giving the counterintuitive pattern of higher mortality and lower life expectancy in economic expansions and improvement of these indices in recessions. The change or "tipping point" occurred at the end of the nineteenth century or early in the twentieth century when electrification was introduced into Sweden. All 5 of the reversals of annual industrial electric energy use in the US between 1912 and 1970 were accompanied by recessions with lowered GDP, increased unemployment, decreased mortality and increased life expectancy. The health indices were not related to residential electricity use. The mortality improvement between 1931 and 1932 by state in the US strongly favored urban areas over rural areas. Rural unemployment by state in 1930 was significantly positively correlated with residential electrification percentage by state in 1930. The health effects of economic change are mediated by electrical exposure.
Findings		Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Washington State Dept. of Social Health, USA - smilham@halcyon.com
Funding Agency		Private/Instit.
Country		UNITED STATES
References		Milham, S et al. Am J Ind Med, (2008) 51:579-586 Morgan, JW Am J Ind Med, (2009) 52:350-351 Milham, S et al. Am J Ind Med, (2009) 52:352- Milham, S Med Hypotheses., (2010) 74:337-345 Milham, S et al. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine., (2016) 35(3):205-(1 page) Milham, S AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE., (2004) 46:86-87 Milham, S et al. Bioelectromagnetics., (1999) 20:440-445 Milham, S et al. Medical Hypotheses., (2001) 56(3) :290-295 Milham, S Medical Hypotheses., (2010) 74:1086-1087 Milham, S J Dev Behav Pediatr., (2011) 32(8):634- Milham, S et al. ELECTROMAGNETIC BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE., (2017) 36:149-153 Milham, S Electromagn Biol Medicine., (2014) 33:75-78 de Vocht, F et al. Electromagn Biol Med., (2014) 33:1-2 Milham, S Electromagn Biol Med., (2014) 33:2-(1 page)
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