Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Aug;64(8):553-9.
doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.030270. Epub 2007 May 24.

Leukaemia, brain tumours and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: cohort study of Swiss railway employees

Martin Röösli  1 , Manfred Lörtscher, Matthias Egger, Dominik Pfluger, Nadja Schreier, Emanuel Lörtscher, Peter Locher, Adrian Spoerri, Christoph Minder
Affiliations

Leukaemia, brain tumours and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: cohort study of Swiss railway employees

Martin Röösli et al. Occup Environ Med. 2007 Aug.

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the relationship between extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) exposure and mortality from leukaemia and brain tumour in a cohort of Swiss railway workers.

Methods: 20,141 Swiss railway employees with 464,129 person-years of follow-up between 1972 and 2002 were studied. Mortality rates for leukaemia and brain tumour of highly exposed train drivers (21 muT average annual exposure) were compared with medium and low exposed occupational groups (i.e. station masters with an average exposure of 1 muT). In addition, individual cumulative exposure was calculated from on-site measurements and modelling of past exposures.

Results: The hazard ratio (HR) for leukaemia mortality of train drivers was 1.43 (95% CI 0.74 to 2.77) compared with station masters. For myeloid leukaemia the HR of train drivers was 4.74 (95% CI 1.04 to 21.60) and for Hodgkin's disease 3.29 (95% CI 0.69 to 15.63). Lymphoid leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's disease and brain tumour mortality were not associated with magnetic field exposure. Concordant results were obtained from analyses based on individual cumulative exposure.

Conclusions: Some evidence of an exposure-response association was found for myeloid leukaemia and Hodgkin's disease, but not for other haematopoietic and lymphatic malignancies and brain tumours.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: None.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Ahlbom A, Cardis E, Green A.et al Review of the epidemiologic literature on EMF and health. In: Matthes R, Vecchia P, McKinlay AF, et al eds. Exposure to static and low frequency electromagnetic fields, biological effects and health consequences (0–100 kHz). Oberschleissheim: International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection, 2003401–500.
    1. Balli‐Antunes M, Pfluger D H, Minder C E. The mortality from malignancies of haematopoietic and lymphatic systems (MHLS) among railway engine drivers. Environmetrics 19901121–130.
    1. Alfredsson L, Hammar N, Karlehagen S. Cancer incidence among male railway engine‐drivers and conductors in Sweden, 1976–90. Cancer Causes Control 19967377–381. - PubMed
    1. Floderus B, Tornqvist S, Stenlund C. Incidence of selected cancers in Swedish railway workers, 1961–79. Cancer Causes Control 19945189–194. - PubMed
    1. Minder C E, Pfluger D H. Leukemia, brain tumors, and exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields in Swiss railway employees. Am J Epidemiol 2001153825–835. - PubMed

Publication types