§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of cases of(a) leukaemia, (b)skin cancer and (c) lung cancer which may be attributed to overhead power cables near places of residence. [30752]
§ Yvette CooperThe Department obtains advice on the possible health implications of exposure to electromagnetic fields, including the extremely low frequency fields (ELF) associated with overhead power cables, from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB).
In March last year, the NRPB's Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) issued a report on "ELF Electromagnetic Fields and the Risk of Cancer". This was issued following a wide-ranging and thorough review of scientific research related to this issue. The group concluded that the power frequency electromagnetic fields that exist in the vast majority of homes are not a cause of cancer in general. However, some epidemiological studies do indicate a possible doubling of the risk of childhood leukaemia associated with exposure to unusually high levels of power frequency magnetic fields. The AGNIR found no clear evidence of a carcinogenic effect in adults or of a plausible explanation from experiments on animals or isolated cells. Their view was that the epidemiological evidence is currently not strong enough to justify a firm conclusion that such fields cause leukaemia in children.
The board of NRPB issued a statement following publication of the AGNIR report. This indicated that if the doubling of the risk of leukaemia in children with exposures to magnetic fields above 0.4 T (400 nanotesla) was causal then an additional two cases of childhood leukaemia might be caused each year in the UK in addition to the 500 cases that would arise from other causes. Possibly one case every two years would be due to proximity to powerlines. There is no clear evidence of effects of magnetic fields on other cancers in children or of any cancers in adults. The AGNIR is, however, examining the possible effects on health of corona ions generated by powerlines. A number of concerns have been raised by members of the academic community in the United Kingdom that corona ions may have an influence on the behaviour of pollutant aerosols and cause an increase in exposure which could cause increases in risk of cancer or other diseases.