Ecological study on residences in the vicinity of AM radio broadcasting towers and cancer death: preliminary observations in Korea

Abstract

We observed higher mortality rates for all cancers and leukemia in some age groups in the area near the AM radio broadcasting towers. Although these findings do not prove a causal link between cancer and RF exposure from AM radio broadcasting towers, it does suggest that further analytical studies on this topic are needed in Korea.

Human health effects of EMFs: The cost of doing nothing

“…Older studies have reported elevations in both leukemia and brain tumors among individuals with occupational exposures to RF (see [16] for references), but results were not very consistent across studies. Recent reports have found elevated rates of leukemia among children who live near AM radio transmitter sites [17][18][19]. This is the same cancer elevated with exposure to powerline frequency EMFs, suggesting that leukemia is the cancer most likely to show elevated risk with whole body exposure to a variety of EMFs frequencies.…”

Human health effects of EMFs: The cost of doing nothing

“…Older studies have reported elevations in both leukemia and brain tumors among individuals with occupational exposures to RF (see [16] for references), but results were not very consistent across studies. Recent reports have found elevated rates of leukemia among children who live near AM radio transmitter sites [17][18][19]. This is the same cancer elevated with exposure to powerline frequency EMFs, suggesting that leukemia is the cancer most likely to show elevated risk with whole body exposure to a variety of EMFs frequencies.…”

Microwave/Radiofrequency (MW/RF) Radiation Exposure and Cancer Risk: Meta-Analysis of Accumulated Empirical Evidence

“…Risk increased and survival decreased for exposed vs. non exposed in children [39]. In a study from Korea, higher risk was found under 30 years old [40].…”

“…Haematologic/lymphatic cancers-curves showed a considerable increment in the number of cases in exposed group aged above 40 years, and for these types of cancer the curves show early age of victims Robinette (1980) analyzed by Goldsmith [36] For the aviation technicians group, that had the highest exposure, death rates were significantly higher than those for the remaining men for all deaths, disease-related deaths, deaths from malignance and deaths from malignancy of the lymphatic and hematopoietic systems. The same group had a younger mean age (23.4) than the average for aviation electrician's mates AE (24.7), a category that showed no increase in deaths from any malignancy or from other diseases Park [40] Higher risk of mortality from leukemia and multiple myeloma in people under 30 years old compared to other age groups Hocking [39] Increased incidence and decreased survival among children who resided near TV transmitters, supported the possibility that RFR acts as a facilitator of cancer Eger [16] Average age of developing cancer was 64.1 years in the inner area (exposed) and 72.6 years in the outer area, a difference of 8.5 years. The average age of patients that developed breast cancer in the inner area was 50.8 years.…”

Mobile phone base stations and early childhood cancers: case-control study

“…Problems include “boundary shrinkage,” whereby estimates of risk are exaggerated by choice of areas/time periods/demographic strata for study, variable ascertainment or duplication of cases, denominator errors, and publication bias 12. There are also reports of weak31 32 33 34 35 36 37 and inconsistent38 39 40 41 geographical associations between risk of leukaemia (including childhood leukaemia) and proximity to radio and television broadcast antennas, another source of low level radiofrequency exposures to the population. Two recent case-control studies—which used propagation models to estimate total radiofrequency exposure from radio and television transmitters at the home address of each child36 37 41—found no association with childhood leukaemia, though one study did report an excess risk of lymphocytic leukaemia associated with peak exposures 37…”

Human health effects of EMFs: The cost of doing nothing

“…Older studies have reported elevations in both leukemia and brain tumors among individuals with occupational exposures to RF (see [16] for references), but results were not very consistent across studies. Recent reports have found elevated rates of leukemia among children who live near AM radio transmitter sites [17][18][19]. This is the same cancer elevated with exposure to powerline frequency EMFs, suggesting that leukemia is the cancer most likely to show elevated risk with whole body exposure to a variety of EMFs frequencies.…”

Microwave/Radiofrequency (MW/RF) Radiation Exposure and Cancer Risk: Meta-Analysis of Accumulated Empirical Evidence

“…Risk increased and survival decreased for exposed vs. non exposed in children [39]. In a study from Korea, higher risk was found under 30 years old [40].…”

“…Haematologic/lymphatic cancers-curves showed a considerable increment in the number of cases in exposed group aged above 40 years, and for these types of cancer the curves show early age of victims Robinette (1980) analyzed by Goldsmith [36] For the aviation technicians group, that had the highest exposure, death rates were significantly higher than those for the remaining men for all deaths, disease-related deaths, deaths from malignance and deaths from malignancy of the lymphatic and hematopoietic systems. The same group had a younger mean age (23.4) than the average for aviation electrician's mates AE (24.7), a category that showed no increase in deaths from any malignancy or from other diseases Park [40] Higher risk of mortality from leukemia and multiple myeloma in people under 30 years old compared to other age groups Hocking [39] Increased incidence and decreased survival among children who resided near TV transmitters, supported the possibility that RFR acts as a facilitator of cancer Eger [16] Average age of developing cancer was 64.1 years in the inner area (exposed) and 72.6 years in the outer area, a difference of 8.5 years. The average age of patients that developed breast cancer in the inner area was 50.8 years.…”

Mobile phone base stations and early childhood cancers: case-control study

“…Problems include “boundary shrinkage,” whereby estimates of risk are exaggerated by choice of areas/time periods/demographic strata for study, variable ascertainment or duplication of cases, denominator errors, and publication bias 12. There are also reports of weak31 32 33 34 35 36 37 and inconsistent38 39 40 41 geographical associations between risk of leukaemia (including childhood leukaemia) and proximity to radio and television broadcast antennas, another source of low level radiofrequency exposures to the population. Two recent case-control studies—which used propagation models to estimate total radiofrequency exposure from radio and television transmitters at the home address of each child36 37 41—found no association with childhood leukaemia, though one study did report an excess risk of lymphocytic leukaemia associated with peak exposures 37…”

Human health effects of EMFs: The cost of doing nothing

“…Older studies have reported elevations in both leukemia and brain tumors among individuals with occupational exposures to RF (see [16] for references), but results were not very consistent across studies. Recent reports have found elevated rates of leukemia among children who live near AM radio transmitter sites [17][18][19]. This is the same cancer elevated with exposure to powerline frequency EMFs, suggesting that leukemia is the cancer most likely to show elevated risk with whole body exposure to a variety of EMFs frequencies.…”

Microwave/Radiofrequency (MW/RF) Radiation Exposure and Cancer Risk: Meta-Analysis of Accumulated Empirical Evidence

“…Risk increased and survival decreased for exposed vs. non exposed in children [39]. In a study from Korea, higher risk was found under 30 years old [40].…”

“…Haematologic/lymphatic cancers-curves showed a considerable increment in the number of cases in exposed group aged above 40 years, and for these types of cancer the curves show early age of victims Robinette (1980) analyzed by Goldsmith [36] For the aviation technicians group, that had the highest exposure, death rates were significantly higher than those for the remaining men for all deaths, disease-related deaths, deaths from malignance and deaths from malignancy of the lymphatic and hematopoietic systems. The same group had a younger mean age (23.4) than the average for aviation electrician's mates AE (24.7), a category that showed no increase in deaths from any malignancy or from other diseases Park [40] Higher risk of mortality from leukemia and multiple myeloma in people under 30 years old compared to other age groups Hocking [39] Increased incidence and decreased survival among children who resided near TV transmitters, supported the possibility that RFR acts as a facilitator of cancer Eger [16] Average age of developing cancer was 64.1 years in the inner area (exposed) and 72.6 years in the outer area, a difference of 8.5 years. The average age of patients that developed breast cancer in the inner area was 50.8 years.…”

Mobile phone base stations and early childhood cancers: case-control study

“…Problems include “boundary shrinkage,” whereby estimates of risk are exaggerated by choice of areas/time periods/demographic strata for study, variable ascertainment or duplication of cases, denominator errors, and publication bias 12. There are also reports of weak31 32 33 34 35 36 37 and inconsistent38 39 40 41 geographical associations between risk of leukaemia (including childhood leukaemia) and proximity to radio and television broadcast antennas, another source of low level radiofrequency exposures to the population. Two recent case-control studies—which used propagation models to estimate total radiofrequency exposure from radio and television transmitters at the home address of each child36 37 41—found no association with childhood leukaemia, though one study did report an excess risk of lymphocytic leukaemia associated with peak exposures 37…”