Society News Archive

6 March 2001

An independent advisory group to the Board of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in the United Kingdom has concluded that the power frequency electromagnetic fields that exist in the vast majority of homes are not a cause of cancer in general. The report states, "There is, however, some epidemiological evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of power frequency magnetic fields is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children." The report goes on to explain that, in practice, such levels of exposure are seldom encountered by the general public.

The report and a response by the NRPB were published on March 6, 2001.