Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Maternal occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and the risk of brain cancer in the offspring

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

To examine the contribution of maternal occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) shortly before and during pregnancy on the incidence of childhood brain tumors.

Methods

A total of 548 incident cases and 760 healthy controls recruited between 1980 and 2002 from two Canadian provinces (Québec and Ontario) were included in this study, and their mothers were interviewed. Quantitative occupational ELF-MF exposure in microTesla units was estimated using individual exposure estimations or a job exposure matrix. We used three metrics to analyze exposure: cumulative, average, and maximum level attained.

Results

Using the average exposure metric measured before conception, an increased risk was observed for astroglial tumors (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0–2.4). During the entire pregnancy period, a significantly increased risk was observed for astroglial tumors as well as for all childhood brain tumors with the average metric (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1–2.5 and OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1–2.2, respectively). Based on job titles, a twofold risk increase was observed for astroglial tumors (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 0.8–6.3) and for all childhood brain tumors (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.0–5.4) among sewing machine operators.

Conclusions

Results are suggestive of a possible association between maternal occupational ELF-MF exposure and certain brain tumors in their offspring.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Feychting M, Forssen U, Floderus B (1997) Occupational and residential magnetic field exposure and leukemia and central nervous system tumors. Epidemiology 8:384–389. doi:10.1097/00001648-199707000-00006

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kheifets L (2001) Electric and magnetic field exposure and brain cancer: a review. Bioelectromagnetics Suppl 5:S120–S131. doi:10.1002/1521-186X(2001)22:5+<::AID-BEM1028>3.0.CO;2-Y

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mezei G, Gadallah M, Kheifets L (2008) Residential magnetic field exposure and childhood brain cancer: a meta-analysis. Epidemiology 19:424–430. doi:10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181690715

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Wilkins JRIII, Lynn CW (1996) Brain tumor risk in offspring of men occupationally exposed to electric and magnetic fields. Scand J Work Environ Health 22:339–345

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Sorahan T, Hamilton L, Gardiner K, Hodgson JT, Harrington JM (1999) Maternal occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields before, during, and after pregnancy in relation to risks of childhood cancers: findings from the Oxford Survey of Childhood Cancers, 1953–1981 deaths. Am J Ind Med 35:348–537. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(199904)35:4<348::AID-AJIM5>3.0.CO;2-X

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Feychting M, Floderus B, Ahlbom A (2000) Parental occupational exposure to magnetic fields and childhood cancer (Sweden). Cancer Causes Control 11:151–156. doi:10.1023/A:1008922016813

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ahlbom A, Feychting M (2001) Current thinking about risks from currents. Lancet 3357:1143–1148. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04380-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Juutilainen J, Kumlin T, Naarala J (2006) Do extremely low frequency magnetic fields enhance the effects of environmental carcinogens? A meta-analysis of experimental studies. Int J Radiat Biol 82:1–12. doi:10.1080/09553000600577839

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Deadman JE, Infante-Rivard C (2002) Individual estimation of exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic fields in jobs commonly held by women. Am J Epidemiol 155:368–378. doi:10.1093/aje/155.4.368

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kelsha MA, Kheifets L, Smith R (2000) The impact of work environment, utility, and sampling design on occupational magnetic field exposure summaries. AIHAJ 61:174–182. doi:10.1080/15298660008984526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Shaw AK, Li P, Infante-Rivard C (2006) Early infection and risk of childhood brain tumours. Cancer Causes Control 17:1267–1274. doi:10.1007/s10552-006-0066-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kramarova E, Stiller C, Ferlay J et al (eds) (1996) International classification of childhood cancer 1996. IARC, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  13. Steliarova-Foucher E, Stiller C, Lacour B, Kaatsch P (2005) International classification of childhood cancer, third edition. Cancer 103:1457–1467. doi:10.1002/cncr.20910

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Infante-Rivard C, Siemiatycki J, Lakhani R, Lakhani R, Nadon L (2005) Maternal exposure to occupational solvents and childhood leukemia. Environ Health Perspect 113:787–792

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Department of Manpower and Immigration (1974) Canadian classification and dictionary of occupations 1971, vol 1. Information Canada, Ottawa

  16. Statistics Canada (1980) Standard industrial classification, 12-501. Statistics Canada, Ottawa

  17. McKean-Cowdin R, Preston-Martin S, Pogoda JM (1998) Parental occupation and childhood brain tumors: astroglial and primitive neuroectodermal tumors. J Occup Environ Med 40:332–340. doi:10.1097/00043764-199804000-00007

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ali R, Yu CL, Wu MT et al (2004) A case—control study of parental occupation, leukemia, and brain tumors in an industrial city in Taiwan. J Occup Environ Med 46:958–992. doi:10.1097/01.jom.0000138913.75380.13

    Google Scholar 

  19. Infante-Rivard C, Deadman JE (2003) Maternal occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields during pregnancy and childhood leukemia. Epidemiology 14:437–441

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Skyberg KIH, Vistnes AI (1993) Chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of high-voltage laboratory cable splicers exposed to electromagnetic fields. Scand J Work Environ Health 19:29–34

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Nordenson I, Mild KH, Andersson G, Sandström M (1994) Chromosomal aberrations in human amniotic cells after intermittent exposure to fifty-Hertz magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 15:193–301. doi:10.1002/bem.2250150404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kuijten RR, Bunin GR, Nass CC, Meadows AT (1992) Parental occupation and childhood astrocytoma: results of a case–control study. Cancer Res 52:782–786

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Olsen JH, De Nully Brown P, Jensen OM (1991) Parental employment at time of conception and risk of cancer in offspring. Eur J Cancer 27:958–965

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Cordier S, Lefeuvre B, Filippini G et al (1997) Parental occupation, occupational exposure to solvents and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and risk of childhood brain tumors (Italy, France, Spain). Cancer Causes Control 8:688–697. doi:10.1023/A:1018419118841

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Feingold L, Savitz DA, John EM (1992) Use of a job-exposure matrix to evaluate parental occupation and childhood cancer. Cancer Causes Control 3:161–169. doi:10.1007/BF00051656

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. De Roos AJ, Teschke K, Savitz DA et al (2001) Parental occupational exposures to electromagnetic fields and radiation and the incidence of neuroblastoma in offspring. Epidemiology 12:508–517. doi:10.1097/00001648-200109000-00008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Plato N, Steineck G (1993) Methodology and utility of a job-exposure matrix. Am J Ind Med 23:491–502. doi:10.1002/ajim.4700230312

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Claire Infante-Rivard holds a Canada Research Chair-James McGill Professorship from McGill University. The authors want to thank Drs. Mariam El-Zein and Jan Deadman for their work on the pilot study comparing coded exposures between a nonexpert and an expert. This work was supported from grants from the Fonds de la recherche en Santé du Québec and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A3, Canada

    Peizhi Li & Claire Infante-Rivard

  2. Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, M5G2L7, Canada

    John McLaughlin

  3. Della Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5T 3M7, Canada

    John McLaughlin

  4. Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, M5T 3L9, Canada

    John McLaughlin

Authors
  1. Peizhi Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John McLaughlin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Claire Infante-Rivard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claire Infante-Rivard.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, P., McLaughlin, J. & Infante-Rivard, C. Maternal occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and the risk of brain cancer in the offspring. Cancer Causes Control 20, 945–955 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9311-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9311-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation