International study of childhood leukemia in residences near electrical transformer rooms.

Objectives: New epidemiologic approaches are needed to reduce the scientific uncertainty surrounding the association between extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and childhood leukemia. While most previous studies focused on power lines, the Transformer Exposure study sought to assess this association using a multi-country study of children who had lived in buildings with built-in electrical transformers. ELF-MF in apartments above built-in transformers can be 5 times higher than in other apartments in the same building.

Pesticides as a potential independent childhood leukemia risk factor and as a potential confounder for electromagnetic fields exposure.

Background: Both pesticides and high magnetic fields are suspected to be childhood leukemia risk factors. Pesticides are utilized at commercial plant nurseries, which sometimes occupy the areas underneath high-voltage powerlines.

Objectives: To evaluate whether potential pesticide exposures (intended use, chemical class, active ingredient) utilized at plant nurseries act as an independent childhood leukemia risk factor or as a confounder for proximity to, or magnetic fields exposure from, high-voltage powerlines.

Commercial outdoor plant nurseries as a confounder for electromagnetic fields and childhood leukemia risk.

Background: Close residential proximity to powerlines and high magnetic fields exposure may be associated with elevated childhood leukemia risks as reported by prior studies and pooled analyses. Magnetic fields exposure from high-voltage powerlines is associated with proximity to these powerlines and consequently with any factor varying with distance. Areas underneath powerlines in California may be sites for commercial plant nurseries that can use pesticides, a potential childhood leukemia risk factor.

Receipt of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Subsequent Development of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Cohort Study.

We investigated the potential relationship between receipt of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We conducted a cohort study using a sample of more than one million beneficiaries enrolled in the U.S.

Pooled analysis of recent studies of magnetic fields and childhood leukemia.

Background: Over forty epidemiologic studies have addressed an association between measured or calculated extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields (MF) and childhood leukemia. These studies have been aggregated in a series of pooled analyses, but it has been 10 years since the last such.

Methods: We present a pooled analysis combining individual-level data (24,994 cases, 30,769 controls) from four recent studies on MF and childhood leukemia.