New leukaemia fear over power lines

New leukaemia fear over power lines

Mar 31 - Herald, The; Glasgow (UK)

SCIENTISTS for the government yesterday raised the possibility of a link between radiation from electricity power lines and childhood leukaemia.

The advisers urged ministers to review the latest global figures, and consider whether there could be a connection.

The move could force the electricity industry to spend millions of pounds burying power lines that currently pass over residential areas.

The scientists from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) said ministers should "take seriously" the possibility of an association between the power cables and this cancer.

Until now official advisers have said there was no evidence to support such a link, although independent scientists have blamed pylon-borne cables for leukaemia, brain tumours and even depression and suicides. But the NRPB now says a review of evidence from around the world suggests there is indeed a greater risk for families exposed to long-term electromagnetic radiation. In real terms this amounts to an extra two cases of cancer a year among a few hundred thousand of the population.

There is no evidence of a causative link and experts have not ruled out the possibility of the finding being due to a statistical anomaly. But the board, which advises ministers on radiation issues, recommended the government should consider action.

Dr Alastair McKinlay at the NRPB, said the evidence was not enough on which to base new restrictions on exposure levels, but that "it certainly should not be ignored".

The Department of Health said it had already opened talks with the NRPB concerning precautionary measures for power lines.

Dr McKinlay said: "It's not for NRPB to consider the details and the engineering and anything else that might be linked to this. This is clearly going to be an ongoing discussion and there are a number of stakeholders who clearly must become involved."

National Grid scientific adviser, Dr John Swanson, said the electricity industry would co-operate with any changes the government wanted to introduce. "If we have to make alterations to the system we will make such alterations," he said.

Scottish and Southern Power said: "Obviously we will take any of this seriously, but thousands of surveys over the years have never come up with any conclusive link."

A DoH spokesman said: "The government has recently started discussions with interested organisations to consider power lines, and NRPB advice suggests that this process should continue. Discussions will look at whether any precautionary measures would be appropriate."

Shona Robison, the SNP's shadow Scottish health minister, called on the Scottish Executive to mount an inquiry to determine the level of risk and ensure action is taken. "Aside from burying cables, if the risk is significant they may have to take more immediate action to help people who are living there at the moment.

"It begs the question as to why it has taken so long for the information to come out. I can imagine parents will be pretty angry if their children have been exposed for all this time, and if people have bought houses under pylons because they have been told there was no risk they will be pretty annoyed."