Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and risk of childhood leukemia: A risk assessment by the ARIMMORA consortium
Other text in scientific journal, 2016

Exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) was evaluated in an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs as possibly carcinogenic to humans in 2001, based on increased childhood leukemia risk observed in epidemiological studies. We conducted a hazard assessment using available scientific evidence published before March 2015, with inclusion of new research findings from the Advanced Research on Interaction Mechanisms of electroMagnetic exposures with Organisms for Risk Assessment (ARIMMORA) project. The IARC Monograph evaluation scheme was applied to hazard identification. In ARIMMORA for the first time, a transgenic mouse model was used to mimic the most common childhood leukemia: new pathogenic mechanisms were indicated, but more data are needed to draw definitive conclusions. Although experiments in different animal strains showed exposure-related decreases of CD8+ T-cells, a role in carcinogenesis must be further established. No direct damage of DNA by exposure was observed. Overall in the literature, there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals, with only weak supporting evidence from mechanistic studies. New exposure data from ARIMMORA confirmed that if the association is nevertheless causal, up to 2% of childhood leukemias in Europe, as previously estimated, may be attributable to ELF-MF. In summary, ARIMMORA concludes that the relationship between ELF-MF and childhood leukemia remains consistent with possible carcinogenicity in humans. While this scientific uncertainty is dissatisfactory for science and public health, new mechanistic insight from ARIMMORA experiments points to future research that could provide a step-change in future assessments. Bioelectromagnetics. 37:183-189, 2016.

risk assessment

hazard identification

acute lymphoblastic-leukemia

fetal exposure

cancer

electromagnetic fields

leukemia

pooled analysis

children

adverse effects

electromagnetic-fields

Author

J Schüz

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

C. Dasenbrock

Fraunhofer Institut fur Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin - ITEM

P. Ravazzani

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

M Röösli

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)

P. Schar

University of Basel

P. L. Bounds

Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (ITIS)

F. Erdmann

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

A. Borkhardt

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

C. Cobaleda

CSIC-UAM - Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM)

M. Fedrowitz

Tierarztliche Hochschule Hannover

Yngve Hamnerius

Chalmers, Signals and Systems, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering

I. Sanchez-Garcia

Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

R. Seger

Weizmann Institute of Science

K. Schmiegelow

Copenhagen University Hospital

G. Ziegelberger

Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz

M. Capstick

Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (ITIS)

M. Manser

University of Basel

M. Muller

Fraunhofer Institut fur Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin - ITEM

C. D. Schmid

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)

D. Schurmann

University of Basel

B. Struchen

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)

N. Kuster

Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (ITIS)

Bioelectromagnetics

0197-8462 (ISSN) 1521-186X (eISSN)

Vol. 37 3 183-189

Subject Categories

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Areas of Advance

Life Science Engineering (2010-2018)

DOI

10.1002/bem.21963

More information

Latest update

7/29/2021