Vol. 534 No. 1
93 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the most recent report of the National Radiological Protection Board in Britain outlining the work of the Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation, which showed that some epidemiological studies indicate a possible small risk of childhood leukaemia associated with exposure to unusually high levels of lower frequency magnetic fluids; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9969/01]
The main conclusions of the report are that laboratory experiments have provided no good evidence that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields are capable of causing cancer nor do human epidemiological studies suggest that they cause cancer in general. There is however some epidemiological evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of power frequency magnetic fields is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children. In the absence of clear evidence of a carcinogenic effect in adults or of a plausible explanation from experiments on animals or isolated cells, the epidemiological evidence is currently not strong enough to justify a firm conclusion that such fields cause leukaemia in children.
I have asked the chief medical officer in my Department to examine the report and revert to me.
