Changes over time in the reported risk for childhood leukemia and magnetic fields

Abstract

Overview

This study reviews changes in the reported risks associated with childhood leukemia from exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields, examining data from 1979 to the present.

Findings

• Analyzed data from 41 different studies using inverse-variance weighting.
• Noted a general decline in the cumulative relative risk, from a peak of 2.44 in 1997 to 1.58 in 2017.
• Higher risks found in studies with higher exposures and better quality exposure assessments.

Conclusion

The study concludes that while there is a noticeable decline in reported risks, the decline is not statistically significant as a linear trend. The presence of an elevated risk, likely linked to electromagnetic field exposure, persists but the decline could also be attributed to chance rather than solely to improvements in study quality.