Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields and the Risk of Childhood B-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a City With High Incidence of Leukemia and Elevated Exposure to ELF Magnetic Fields

Bioelectromagnetics. · 2020 · Harm · Moderate evidence

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HarmModerate evidencePaper 2154

Higher residential ELF-MF exposure was associated with increased risk of B-ALL in children. Adjusted odds ratios increased with higher exposure cutoffs, with significant associations at ≥0.4 μT and above. Exposure as a continuous variable per 0.2 μT increment…

Study snapshot

PublicationBioelectromagnetics. · 2020

Study typecase_control

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields and the Risk of Childhood B-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a City With High Incidence of Leukemia and Elevated Exposure to ELF Magnetic Fields Juan C Núñez-Enríquez, Víctor Correa-Correa, Janet Flores-Lujano, María L Pérez-Saldivar, Elva Jiménez- Hernández, et al. Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields and the Risk of Childhood B-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a City With High Incidence of Leukemia and Elevated Exposure to ELF Magnetic Fields. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020 Sep 23. doi: 10.1002/bem.22295. Abstract It is important to study the relationship between extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and childhood leukemia, particularly in locations with a high incidence of this neoplasm in children and an elevated exposure to ELF-MF, such as Mexico City. The aim was to investigate the association between ELF-MF exposure and the risk of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). A case-control study was conducted in Mexico City during the period from 2010 to 2011. Residential 24-h ELF-MF measurements were obtained for 290 incident B-ALL patients and 407 controls, aged less than 16 years. Controls were frequency-matched by sex, age (±18 months), and health institution. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. ELF-MF exposure at <0.2 μT was used to define the reference group. ELF-MF exposure at ≥0.3 μT was observed in 11.3% of the controls. Different ELF-MF intensity cutoff values were used to define the highest exposure category; the highest exposure category for each cutoff value was associated with an increased risk of B-ALL compared with the corresponding lower exposure categories. The aORs were as follows: ≥0.2 μT = 1.26 (95% CI: 0.84-1.89); ≥0.3 μT = 1.53 (95% CI: 0.95-2.48); ≥0.4 μT = 1.87 (95% CI: 1.04-3.35); ≥0.5 μT = 1.80 (95% CI 0.95-3.44); ≥0.6 μT = 2.32 (95% CI: 1.10-4.93). ELF-MF exposure as a continuous variable (per 0.2 μT intervals) was associated with B-ALL risk (aOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.12). In the present study, the proportion of children exposed to ≥0.3 μT is among the highest reported worldwide. Additionally, an ELF-MF exposure ≥0.4 μT may be associated with the risk of B-ALL. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecase_control

Effect directionharm

Populationchildren under 16 years in Mexico City

Sample size697

ExposureELF · 24-h residential measurement

Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 70% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL)

Limitations

Observational case-control design subject to potential confounding
Exposure measured only at residence, possible misclassification
Confidence intervals for some exposure categories include 1, indicating uncertainty

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "case_control",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "24-h residential measurement"
  },
  "population": "children under 16 years in Mexico City",
  "sample_size": 697,
  "outcomes": [
    "B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Higher residential ELF-MF exposure was associated with increased risk of B-ALL in children. Adjusted odds ratios increased with higher exposure cutoffs, with significant associations at ≥0.4 μT and above. Exposure as a continuous variable per 0.2 μT increment was also associated with increased risk.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Observational case-control design subject to potential confounding",
    "Exposure measured only at residence, possible misclassification",
    "Confidence intervals for some exposure categories include 1, indicating uncertainty"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.7,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "extremely low-frequency magnetic fields",
    "ELF-MF",
    "childhood leukemia",
    "acute lymphoblastic leukemia",
    "B-ALL",
    "case-control study",
    "Mexico City"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.3,
      "reason": "Study of ELF magnetic field exposure in residential environment, relevant to exposure assessment."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1002/bem.22295
PubMed: 32965755

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