Is epidemiology implicating extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields in childhood leukemia?

Overview

We have reviewed epidemiological studies examining the association between residential exposure to extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMF) and childhood leukemia. We have excluded studies focusing on electrical appliances, because it is difficult to consolidate transient exposure from multiple sources and equally difficult to control information bias. We have identified 24 studies of residential exposure to ELF-EMF and childhood leukemia. About half of these studies were reported as positive and the remaining as null. For each of the studies reported as positive, however, one or more sources of bias could not be confidently excluded. Moreover, studies which were methodologically more sound, or benefited from high quality registry data, were more frequently null than other investigations. We conclude that the empirical evidence in support of an association between ELF-EMF and childhood leukemia is weak.