Sir, – With such widespread and continuous exposure of the population, even small risks to health from the proposed pylons may have a large impact on the population. Children are particularly vulnerable as their nervous and other physiological systems are still developing and they have a longer lifetime exposure. It is therefore of paramount importance that the risks to health are accurately known. It is clear that they are not.
There are many methodological problems in identifying adverse health effects from this type of radiation. In particular there are great difficulties in assessing exposure; and individuals are not generally aware of the levels to which they are exposed. As a result, epidemiologic studies to date have relied on rather crude proxies for exposure. It is therefore understandable that not all studies would show adverse health effects; and childhood leukaemia has been linked to such exposure by some studies, but not by others.
Further studies have found an increase in the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in people living less than 600 metres from a power lines, while others have not.
Exposure to non-ionising radiation is governed internationally by guidelines issued in 1998, by the International Commission for Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). These guidelines are used by national governments, including the Irish Government, to regulate levels of exposure to this type of radiation. The ICNIRP guidelines acknowledge the difficulties in ascertaining exposure levels. However, since the current guidelines from ICNIRP were issued, two large studies have been undertaken, both of which raise concerns.
The EU REFLEX report involved 12 research groups in seven countries and reported its findings on radiation and health in 2004.
The researchers found an “intriguing pattern”, for example, intermittent exposure to radiation at a common electrical mains frequency appeared to be toxic to DNA in some types of human cells. Furthermore, the SCENHIR report, issued by the European Commission in 2009, is quite explicit, stating that its previous conclusion that ELF (extremely low frequency) magnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic, chiefly based on childhood leukaemia results, “is still valid”.
Two simple precautionary measures may be proposed.
First, that data on exposure to non-ionising radiation be included on all new entrants in the National Cancer Register. And a decision on the proposed pylons should be deferred until we know the risks to which we are exposing the population.
The tragedy of avoidable illness is only superseded by the knowledge that it could have been avoided. There is an onus on public health professionals to take the lead. This is the time for the precautionary principle to come into action. – Yours, etc,
Dr ELIZABETH CULLEN,
Irish Doctors’
Environmental Association,
Kilcullen, Co Kildare.