While epidemiologists argue abut the strength of the evidence linking cancers to the presence of high tension (HT) cables, a team of Bristol scientists has proposed a mechanism that could account for any increase in incidence of disease near grid lines, PA News reports.
The team, led by professor Denis Henshaw, suggested that the corona around a high tension cable produces charged particles which adhere to pollutant aerosols in the atmosphere, making them more readily absorbed into the human body. The professor believes that this could lead to a rise in the incidence of specific diseases, such as leukaemia, skin cancer and respiratory disorders in the vicinity of high voltage lines.
While there has been much anecdotal evidence to support the thesis that power lines do increase risk, statistical evidence is slim, and most power companies reject the claim of a link. The UK Electricity Industry Association said the hypothesis proposed by the Bristol team was both old and had been previously criticised. However the American National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences recently concluded that electric and magnetic fields should be viewed as possible carcinogens.
