In any case, this latest report on EMF and cancer is unlikely to be the final word on the subject. The researchers themselves call for additional studies on cells and animals. The source of their EMF exposure, whether from household wiring or other causes, will need further investigation. The bottom line, as Dr Swerdlow points out, is that exposure to EMF is linked to a modestly elevated risk of a very rare disease in a small section of the population. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to quieten public fears of widespread danger from electricity lines.
Childhood leukaemia is a cruel disease, and parents are naturally keen to find the cause.
Blaming menacing electrical pylons and invisible, malign radiation is understandably easier than accepting the fact that science does not yet know what triggers this affliction in some children. In an age which expects iron-clad scientific solutions, living with uncertainty, however small the danger, is no easy thing. If you would like to post a response to this article, use this form.