What were the main conclusions of Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) in relation to Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) fields and cancer?
AGNIR concluded, ‘Laboratory experiments have provided no good evidence that ELF electromagnetic fields are capable of producing cancer, nor do human epidemiological studies suggest that they cause cancer in general. 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. In practice, the general public in the UK seldom encounters such levels of exposure. In the absence of clear evidence of a carcinogenic effect in adults, or of a plausible explanation from experiments on animals or isolated cells, the epidemiological evidence is currently not strong enough to justify the firm conclusion that such fields cause leukaemia in children. Unless, however, further research indicates that the finding is due to chance or some currently unrecognised artefact, the possibility remains that intense and prolonged exposures to magnetic fields can increase the risk of leukaemia
