Study Reveals Magnetic Fields Created By Mobile Phones and Power Lines Are Likely Not Carcinogenic
Studies conducted in the past have suggested that the magnetic fields created by mobile phones, high voltage power lines and some electrical equipment predisposes humans to developing various kinds of cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) even went further to classify low frequency magnetic field as “potentially carcinogenic”.
But, a more recent study conducted by the University of Manchester has challenged these previous studies. The research was conducted by the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and it has completely ruled out one of the prime factors linking electrical equipment’s magnetic fields to cancer development. The research report was tabled in a paper in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
The team of researchers from the University investigated the influence of weak magnetic fields (WMFs) on important human proteins crucial for human health. Some of which included the nervous system, the biological clock and DNA repair and found no evidence of WMFs having any impact.
Dr Alex Jones, research fellow at the School of Chemistry from the same university said, “There is still some concern among the public about this potential link, which has been found in some studies into cases of childhood leukaemia, but without any clear mechanism for why.
Flavoproteins transfer electrons from one place to another. Along the path the electrons take, very short lived chemical species known as radical pairs are often created. Biochemical reaction involving radical pairs are considered the most plausible candidates for sensitivity to WMFs, but for them to be so the reaction conditions have to be right. This research suggests that the correct conditions for biochemical effects of WMFs are likely to be rare in human biology.”
His counterpart Prof Nigel Scrutton, from the Faculty of Life Sciences and a co-lead author of the paper said, “More work on other possible links will need to be done but this study definitely takes us nearer to the point where we can say that power-lines, mobile phones and other similar devices are likely to be safe for humans.”
The research work done by the teams of researchers from the University of Manchester was funded by the Electromagnetic Fields Biological Research Trust.
