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Exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and childhood cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) are classified as a possible carcinogenic factor (Group 2B). This study assessed the association between ELF-MFs and childhood cancer through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

Three databases were searched in January 2020. We conducted a meta-analysis for the association between the ELF-MFs exposure level and childhood cancer.

Results

A total of 33 studies were identified. Thirty studies with 186,223 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Children exposed to 0.2-, 0.3-, and 0.4-μT ELF-MFs had a 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.49), 1.22 (95% CI 0.93-1.61), and 1.72 (95% CI 1.25-2.35) times higher odds of childhood leukemia. In childhood brain tumors, children exposed to 0.2-μT had a 0.95 (95% CI 0.59-1.56) times higher odds, and those exposed to 0.4-μT ELF-MFs had a 1.25 (95% CI 0.93-1.61). Children exposed to 0.2- and 0.4-μT ELF-MFs had a 1.10 (95% CI 0.70-1.75) and 2.01 (95% CI 0.89-4.52) times higher odds of any childhood cancers.

Conclusions

Significant associations were observed between exposure to ELF-MFs and childhood leukemia. Furthermore, a possible dose-response effect was also observed.

SUBMITTER: Seomun G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8121331 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The widespread use of electricity raises the question of whether or not 50 Hz (power line frequency in Europe) magnetic fields (MFs) affect organisms. We investigated the transcription of Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 in response to extremely low-frequency (ELF) MFs. Fields generated by three signal types (sinusoidal continuous, sinusoidal intermittent, and power line intermittent; all at 50 Hz, 1 mT), were applied and gene expression was monitored at the transcript level using an Affymetrix whole-genome microarray. Bacterial cells were grown continuously in a chemostat (dilution rate D = 0.4 h-1) fed with glucose-limited minimal medium and exposed to 50 Hz MFs with a homogenous flux density of 1 mT. For all three types of MFs investigated, neither bacterial growth (determined using optical density) nor culturable counts were affected. Likewise, no statistically significant change (fold-change > 2, P ≤ 0.01) in the expression of 4,358 genes and 714 intergenic regions represented on the gene chip was detected after MF exposure for 2.5 h (1.4 generations) or 15 h (8.7 generations). Moreover, short-term exposure (8 min) to the sinusoidal continuous and power line intermittent signal neither affected bacterial growth nor showed evidence for reliable changes in transcription. In conclusion, our experiments did not indicate that the different tested MFs (50 Hz, 1 mT) affected the transcription of E. coli. A total of 60 chips are included in this study. Each comparison (treated vs. sham-treated cultures; untreated negative control cultures) consists of three replicates. The three magnetic field test conditions include sinusoidal continous, sinusoidal intermittent (2 min on, 4 min off) and power line intermittent (2 min on, 4 min off). Exposure periods were 8 min, 2.5 h, or 15 h. The response control consists of E. coli cells treated for 10 min with 1 mM H2O2 or the equivalent water volume. The negative control comprises samples taken from cultures grown with the exposure chambers swiched off.