Description

The biological effect of electromagnetic fields (EMF) is a research area that has generated conflicting results on the possible adverse health effects. About 30 years ago, it was questioned for the first time whether weak, low frequency EMF constitutes a major health hazard. This question has still not been answered satisfactorily, particularly in the case of long-term exposure. Many epidemiological studies on residential and occupational exposure to extremely weak low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields show varying results, but in general, positive associations with different cancer forms such as Leukemia, brain tumors, and breast cancer have been reported although no definite conclusions have been made. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic” to human meaning that they might transform normal cells into cancer cells. The development of exposure-risk relationship between electromagnetic fields and biological cell, which is an essential predictor of the cancer occurrence in an exposed population, is not adequately addressed in epidemiological studies in this area.