Nexus - 0213 - New Times Magazine-pages

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. THE ELECTRIC BLANKET/HEATED WATERIBED (cid:1) CONNECTION: SHOULD YOU BE PLUGGED INJ (cid:1) Early Warning Signals Smitten by the marvels of electrical power, we have as a society been slow either to notice or to investig'ate its harmful effects on the human body. One of the fIrst published epidemiological studies on electrical power frequency fields, was carried out by Dr Nancy Wertheimer and Ed Leeper of the University of Colorado.' Wertheimer was concerned in this initial study to determine whether a connection existed between exposure to electrical currents ,generat ed! by high voltage power lines and the increased risk of childhood leukemia. Upon reflection it is perhaps not surprising that emana tions from power lin-es with voltages as high as 230,000 volts (230 kilovolts) might be regarded as hazardous to health, even at some distance from the lines themselves.' The capacity of power lines to generate signifIcant electrical fIelds at quite some distance from the line-wire source is 'll11J.ply illustrated in that well-known photograph of a young boy beneldh a high voltage power line, holding Ii pair of fluorescent lamp tubes which were lit simply because he was stand ing in the electrical field generated by the line. Initial research indicated that there was indeed a vague correlation between the location of high voltage power lines and the proximity of the homes of childhood leukemia victims, but considerable research had still to be undertaken until a more defmitive pattern was to emerge. Although the potential effect on human health of the high voltage power lines would continue to prove worrying, Wertheimer quickly became aware that the high voltages emanating from power generat ing plants and transported through major power lines are soon stepped down to 13,000 volts (13 kV) by large transformers set up at strategic points at a prescribed distance from the high voltage lines. Mapping the locations of the substations and the birth addresses of childhood leukemia victims, the pieces of the puzzle began to come together. In order to make electricity in the 13 kV lines accessible to customers, pole-mounted transformers are used Ito reduce the primary wire voltage of 13 kV down to the 240 and 120 volt levels required by electrical appliances in the home. The association between the location of the transformers and the vicinity of the birth homes oJ childhood leukemia victims proved! to be statistically interesting, but the case was not as clear-cut as it may have seemed. Although there appeared to be a correlation between the increased incidence of leukemia amongst young vic.tims and the proximity of their homes to the transformers, a puzzling aspect of the distribution pattern of the relevant leukemia rates had also emerged which was inconsistent with this finding. In addition to the fact that the inci By Prof Ron S. Laura dence of leukemia was significantly higher for those children living in houses closest to the pole-mounted transformers, a significant per & John F. Ashton centage of young leukemia victims had lived lin not the fIrst house 'away from the transformer, but the second house away. What was Extracted from their recent book: equally puzzling was that the leukemia rate fell sharply for children I fidden Hazards in the third @use, away from !he transJormer and was negligible in Published by Bantam Books, Australia, 1991. respect of the overai population for all the remJUning houses on the line.) Vol 2, No 13 - , 993 NEXUS·41