主题：住宅旁的高压线对住户有什么影响? -- zhydrag

Cancer: There is no convincing evidence that exposure to ELF fields causes direct damage to biological molecules, including DNA. It is thus unlikely that they could initiate the process of carcinogenesis. However, studies are still underway to determine if ELF exposure can influence cancer promotion or co-promotion. Recent animal studies have not found evidence that ELF field exposure affects cancer incidence.

NIEHS Panel: The US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has completed its 5-year RAPID Program.The RAPID Program replicated and extended studies reporting effects with possible health implications, and conducted further studies to determine if indeed there was any health consequence from ELF field exposure. In June 1998, NIEHS convened an international Working Group to review the research results. NIEHS's international panel concluded, using criteria established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), that ELF fields should be considered as a "possible human carcinogen".

"Possible human carcinogen" is the weakest of three categories ("possibly carcinogenic to humans", "probably carcinogenic to humans" and "is carcinogenic to humans") used by IARC to classify scientific evidence on potential carcinogens. IARC has two further classifications of scientific evidence: "is not classifiable" and "is probably not carcinogenic to humans", but the NIEHS Working Group considered there was enough evidence to eliminate these categories.

"Possible human carcinogen" is a classification used to denote an agent for which there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity in experimental animals. Thus the classification is based on the strength of scientific evidence, not on the strength of carcinogenicity or risk of cancer from the agent. Thus, "possible human carcinogen" means limited credible evidence exists suggesting that exposure to ELF fields may cause cancer. While it cannot be excluded that ELF field exposure causes cancer from available evidence, further focused, high quality research is now needed to resolve this issue.

The decision of the NIEHS Working Group was based mainly on the appearance of consistency in epidemiological studies suggesting residence near power lines resulted in an apparently higher risk of leukaemia in children. Support for this association was found in studies relating childhood leukaemia incidence to proximity to power lines and to magnetic fields measured for 24 hours in homes. Furthermore, the Working Group also found limited evidence for an increased occurrence of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in the occupational setting.

General public: Since current scientific information is only weakly suggestive and does not establish that exposure to ELF fields at levels normally encountered in our living environment might cause adverse health effects, there is no need for any specific protective measures for members of the general public. Where there are sources of high ELF field exposure, access by the public will generally be restricted by fences or barriers, so that no additional protective measures will be needed.