Calculated residential exposure to power frequency magnetic fields for an epidemiological study in France and comparison to measurements

Abstract

Overview

The GEOCAP epidemiological study focuses on the investigation of pediatric cancers in France and their possible links to environmental factors, particularly electromagnetic fields from high voltage power lines.

Findings

• The study evaluated proximity to overhead lines (63-400kV), assessing exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF).
• It encompassed 4,174 leukemia cases and 45,000 controls across mainland France, enrolled from 2002 to 2010.
• From 1,124 participants living close enough to power lines, 371 had exposures exceeding 0.1µT and were further examined.
• 123 subjects had exposures over 0.4µT, constituting 0.25% of the total study population.
• A comparison of calculated exposures and measured data was performed, showing less than 30% difference in 80% of cases, indicating reliability of the exposure calculations.

Conclusion

This study provides crucial evidence of residential exposure to ELF-MF being a significant environmental factor. The close correspondence between calculated and measured exposures underscores the potential health risks associated with proximity to high voltage power lines.