[EMF-Link] [ HomePage | Search | What's New | Comments | Up One Level ] Questions and Answers About EMF Electric and Magnetic Fields Associated with the Use of Electrical Power. January 1995. Human Health Studies ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Besides cancer, what other kinds of effects have been reported in epidemiologic studies involving EMFs? A. Several epidemiologic studies have looked for EMF effects on pregnancy outcomes and general health. Various EMF sources have been studied for possible association with miscarriage risk: power lines and substations, electric blankets and heated water beds, electric cable ceiling heat, and computer monitors or video display terminals (VDTs). Some studies have correlated EMF exposure with higher than expected miscarriage rates; others have found no such correlation. Epidemiologic studies have revealed no evidence of an association between EMF exposure and birth defects in humans. Several studies looked at the overall health of high-voltage electrical workers, and a few looked at the incidence of suicide or depression in people living near transmission lines. Results of these studies have been mixed. Some studies have also investigated the possibility that certain sensitive individuals may experience allergic-type reactions to EMFs, known as "electrosensitivity." One preliminary report released in 1994 has suggested a possible link between occupational EMF exposure and increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease. This study also found a higher incidence of Alzheimer's disease among tailors and dressmakers. At the time this booklet was produced, the research related to Alzheimer's had not been peer-reviewed or published. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Home Page] Copyright (c) 1994-1996, Information Ventures, Inc. EMF-Link@infoventures.com http://infoventures.com