Childhood leukaemia risk doubles within 100 metres of high voltage power lines - damning results known for 3 years.

Childhood leukaemia risk doubles within 100 metres of high voltage power
lines - damning results known for 3 years.

The biggest ever publicly funded UK study [1] into power lines and child
cancer has found that children under the age of 15 living within 100 metres
of high-voltage power lines have close to twice the risk of developing
leukaemia. Children aged 0-5 are the most vulnerable so their risk is likely
to be even higher.

This result from the OXFORD CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH GROUP study, headed by
Gerald Draper analysed and compared 33 years of data (from1962 to1995) on
35,000 children diagnosed with cancer, with their distance to the nearest
electricity transmission line. These latest findings from the Draper study
of a direct effect on childhood leukaemia from U.K. power lines follow from
the acknowledged International studies that the risk of childhood leukaemia
is doubled for magnetic field exposures above 0.4 microtesla, well below
that seen under high voltage powerlines.

We have learned that "preliminary results" of the latest Draper study,
funded to run from 1997-2001 were known as long as 3 years ago and were
formally shown confidentially to the U.K. Department of Health in May 2003,
but to date has not as yet been entrusted to the public.

We of the Trentham Environmental Action Campaign, an independent research
and activist group, concerned about adverse health effects from power-lines,
believe it to be absolutely scandalous that 3 years after telling the
Department of Health of these latest U.K. findings, it is only as a
consequence of our intervention that we are now able to make these findings
public. There appears to have been a determination to withhold the Draper
Report for as long as possible.

Trentham has a high voltage powerline crossing many of the houses and there
are a significant number of households with young children within 100 metres
of the line. Our concerns are also shared by REVOLT, Powerwatch and
Electromagnetic Hazard and Therapy, organisations which have also voiced
concerns about the health risks of electromagnetic fields for many years.

Our campaign group has been in constant contact with the Government, Mr
George Hooker at the Department of Health and the National Radiological
Protection Board [NRPB]. We have also been deeply disappointed in the
organisations' continuing denial of the problem despite their knowing about
these new study results. The NRPB already acknowledges that there is
international consensus on the fact that the incidence of childhood
leukaemia is doubled at a magnetic field of 0.4 microtesla, which is
exceeded under most powerlines. In March 2004, the NRPB reduced the national
magnetic field exposure guidelines from 1,600 microtesla to 100 microtesla
[3]. They said "In the light of these findings (the association between
exposure to magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia) and the requirement for
additional research, the need for further precautionary measures should be
considered by government". However, 100 microtesla is still 250 times higher
than the level (0.4 microtesla) at which the risk of developing childhood
leukaemia is doubled.

Electromagnetic fields from powerlines are also linked to adult cancers,
depression and suicide. Our Trentham group carried out a local survey which
produced extremely worrying results. Depression, miscarriages, headaches,
insomnia (with its attendant chronic health problems due to immune system
damage) were much more common in the people who lived near the powerline,
compared with those who lived further away. Some of these health problems
were also found in the important California Health Department report [4] of
2002.

The leukaemia link has now been repeatedly demonstrated. The government
should take our nation's health seriously enough to stop allowing houses to
be built near high-voltage lines and to remove overhead powerlines from
residential areas.

The Minister for Housing and Planning, Keith Hill, in a letter dated July
2004, said "We are aware that there is continuing debate about the effect of
living under power lines and whether this can have adverse long-term health
effects. We are of the opinion that power lines are unlikely to have
significant effects on the environment". Is this a government statement
about people's health or about the environment? Is this confusion, or spin?

It is time the government and planners took the health issue seriously, and
reversed their policy of favouring developers, clearly ignoring the risk to
children's health. New housing near powerlines should be restricted, and
existing lines through residential areas phased out.

Only 50 years ago developing childhood leukaemia was an almost certain death
sentence. Due to dramatic improvements in treatment, about 80% of children
who suffer from the most common form of childhood leukaemia (ALL, acute
lymphoblastic leukaemia) now live for more than 5 years after treatment, but
childhood leukaemia remains the largest child killer disease. Survivors
often suffer ongoing adverse health complications. The number of children
developing leukaemia has been steadily growing over the last 50 years. In
2001, Dr Sam Milham reported [5] a link between the growth in electricity
supply and the growth in leukaemia incidence in the USA.

We ignore this at our peril.

[1] Draper G, Vincent T, Kroll M & Swanson J - Childhood cancer and
electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines - Department of Health
funded 1997-2001, RRX 46 (as yet still unpublished) [2] International
Scientific Conference on the incidence, causal mechanisms and prevention of
childhood leukaemia and other cancers. Westminster, 6-10th September 2004.
See: http://www.leukaemiaconference.org

[3] See: http://www.nrpb.org for details of their announcements and
downloadable publications

[4] Neutra R R, DelPizzo V & Lee G M - An Evaluation of the possible risks
from electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) from power lines, internal wiring,
electrical occupations & appliances, 2002, California Department of Health &
Human Services, The Program, Oakland, California.
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ehib/emf/RiskE.../riskeval.html See commentary
on: http://www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk

[5] Milham S & Ossiander E M - Historical evidence that residential
electrification caused the emergence of the childhood leukaemia peak Medical
Hypotheses, 2001, 56(3) 290-295

Further information about powerlines and health problems (including the
Trentham survey) can be found on the following websites TEAC
http://www.revolt.co.uk/trentham/ Media (only) Tel: 01782 658648 Mobile
07963915428 ( Maureen A)

EMH&T http://www.em-hazard-therapy.com/ Simon Best 01730 816 799 (media
only) Powerwatch http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/contents.asp

REVOLT http://www.revolt.co.uk/

This press release has been issued by the Trentham Environmental Action
Campaign 51 Earlsbrook Drive, Trentham, Stoke on Trent ST4 8DL email

It has been known for years that kids who live in areas where there is more
pollution, there is more childhood leukemia. These are also the areas were
poor people tend to live. And rich people are better at keeping power lines
out from around their houses.

There was a review of hte data done by the National Acadamy of Science's
Institute of Medicine who review the risk of cancer around power lines and
other sources of electromagnetic energy. They found that this is a problem
of poverty, not power.

Jeff

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
It has been known for years that kids who live in areas where there is
more
pollution, there is more childhood leukemia. These are also the areas were
poor people tend to live. And rich people are better at keeping power
lines
out from around their houses.

There was a review of hte data done by the National Acadamy of Science's
Institute of Medicine who review the risk of cancer around power lines and
other sources of electromagnetic energy. They found that this is a problem
of poverty, not power.

Jeff



Unfortunately, John the Whale's poverty is in brain cells and critical
reasoning, whatever else

Poverty is in your integrity Putz

http://www.whale.to/a/emf_leukemia.html

"Steph" wrote in message
news:qMO2d.456794$gE.414061@pd7tw3no...



Unfortunately, John the Whale's poverty is in brain cells and critical
reasoning, whatever else



You and Putz make a fine pair, get married.

"john" wrote in message
...

"Steph" wrote in message
news:qMO2d.456794$gE.414061@pd7tw3no...



Unfortunately, John the Whale's poverty is in brain cells and critical
reasoning, whatever else



You and Putz make a fine pair, get married.



Very catty, John. Bit peaked, are we?

"john" wrote in message
...
Poverty is in your integrity Putz

http://www.whale.to/a/emf_leukemia.html

This is a useless site, IMHO. A bunch of articles, without context or
understanding. For example, microwave radiation is very different than EMF
from power lines.

Jeff

"Jeff" wrote in message
...

"john" wrote in message
...
Poverty is in your integrity Putz

http://www.whale.to/a/emf_leukemia.html

This is a useless site, IMHO. A bunch of articles, without context or
understanding. For example, microwave radiation is very different than EMF
from power lines.

Jeff



Sssh..... John doesn't know things like that

"Steph" wrote in message
news:U2Z2d.42009$%S.3062@pd7tw2no...



http://www.whale.to/a/emf_leukemia.html

This is a useless site, IMHO. A bunch of articles, without context or
understanding. For example, microwave radiation is very different than
EMF
from power lines.

Sssh..... John doesn't know things like that


Funny why all the experts quote studies like that in their articles on
microwave towers http://www.whale.to/b/tetra.html

same stuff just a different frequency http://www.whale.to/b/fr.html

you should read some of it http://www.whale.to/b/frequency.html

putz has to diagree with everything i post that is his remit, what a life

"john" wrote in message
...

"Steph" wrote in message
news:U2Z2d.42009$%S.3062@pd7tw2no...



http://www.whale.to/a/emf_leukemia.html

This is a useless site, IMHO. A bunch of articles, without context or
understanding. For example, microwave radiation is very different than
EMF
from power lines.

Sssh..... John doesn't know things like that


Funny why all the experts quote studies like that in their articles on
microwave towers http://www.whale.to/b/tetra.html

same stuff just a different frequency http://www.whale.to/b/fr.html

Like light, radio, x rays and gamma rays. So they are all the same too, are
they John?