Epidemiological study

Residential proximity to power lines and risk of brain tumor in the general population epidem.

By: Carles C, Esquirol Y, Turuban M, Piel C, Migault L, Pouchieu C, Bouvier G, Fabbro-Peray P, Lebailly P, Baldi I

Published in: Environ Res 2020; 185: 109473

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A case-control study was conducted in France to investigate the association between residential proximity to power lines and brain tumors among adults.

Further details

Exposure assessment was performed by applying two geographical methods: use of the distance between the residence and the power lines (63, 90, 150, 225 und 400 kV) and use of exposure corridors corresponding to a magnetic flux density of at least 0.3 μT according to the number and voltage of the power lines. Further subgroups are not provided in the table above.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: glioma and meningioma

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

Assessment

calculation: distance between residence and power lines; exposure corridor with maximal 0.3 μT; calculation of cumulative duration as sum of durations living in a place of residence considered as exposed
questionnaire: lifetime residential history; exposure to ELF-MF at home (use of electric shaver, hair dryer, heating blanket, radio alarm, induction hob and hooded dryer)

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	cumulative duration living < 50 m from power line: never
Group 2	cumulative duration living < 50 m from power line: ever
Group 3	cumulative duration living < 50 m from power line: > 5 years
Group 4	cumulative duration living < 50 m from power line: > 10 years
Group 5	cumulative duration living < 50 m from power line: > 15 years
Reference group 6	cumulative duration living in an exposure corridor: never
Group 7	cumulative duration living in an exposure corridor: ever
Group 8	cumulative duration living in an exposure corridor: > 5 years
Group 9	cumulative duration living in an exposure corridor: > 10 years
Group 10	cumulative duration living in an exposure corridor: > 15 years

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: ≥ 16 years
Observation period: June 2004 - May 2006
Study location: France (Gironde, Calvados, Manche, Hérault)

Case group

Characteristics: patients with glioma or meningioma of the CRENATE study
Data source: network of practitioners involved in diagnosis and therapeutic management, cancer registries
Exclusion criteria: patients with recurrent tumors, metastases, pituitary tumors, genetic syndrome or AIDS

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- age
- area
- case:control = 1:2

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Evaluable	490	980

Other:

273 cases and 546 controls for gliomas; 217 cases and 434 controls for meningioma

Statistical analysis method:

conditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
education
smoking, alcohol consumption, occupational and household exposure to pesticides, household exposure to ELF-MF, mobile phone use

)

Results (acc. to author)

Statistically significant associations were observed between cumulated duration living at < 50 m to high voltage lines and all brain tumors (OR 2.94; CI 1.28–6.75) and gliomas (OR 4.96; CI 1.56–15.77). No association was found between brain tumors, gliomas or meningiomas and cumulative duration in exposure corridors.
The authors concluded that the results suggest that the risk of brain tumor, and particularly gliomas could be associated with residential extremely low frequency magnetic field exposure estimated by proximity of power lines.

Study funded by

AFSSET (L'Agence française de sécurité sanitaire de l'environnement et du travail) France
Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), France
Fondation de France
Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), France
La Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Paris, France

Comments on this article

Souques M et al. (2020): Letter to editor regarding "Residential proximity to power lines and risk of brain tumor in the general population" by Carles C. and coll. Environ Res. 2020;185:109473. Doi: 10.1016/j.envres. 2020.109473

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