Our work published last December illustrates the extent of corona ion emission from today's power lines. The measurements used well-established, albeit sophisticated, measuring equipment. These measurements demonstrate both how increased exposure to air pollution occurs, as well as indicating the likely level of this increase. Increased exposure implies increased risk of those illnesses known to be associated with air pollution. Dr Alan Preece of Bristol presented some data on cancer rates in adults near power lines at a conference in Munich last June.
Scientific conferences are the right and proper place to present new ideas and preliminary data.
It so happened that several journalists also attended the conference and noted Dr Preece's preliminary findings, as did a representative from the Irish Department of Health. Those findings leaked out in last Thursday's BBC programme. That they did not do so earlier is perhaps surprising. This leak of an unfinished and unpublished investigation may in hindsight serve to underline why a priori we are concerned about the public health implications of our measurements. It may also serve to illustrate why legitimate public concern at perceived increases in cancer incidence near power lines, notably in Mr William Hague's Yorkshire constituency as voiced in the BBC programme, warrants investigation.