BRAIN-TUMOR RISK IN OFFSPRING OF MEN OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC-FIELDS

Objectives The purpose of the study was to address the possible associ ations between the occupational exposure of men to electromagnetic fie lds (EMF) and the risk of childhood brain tumors in offspring by reana lyzing case-referent interview data from a study of environmental fact ors and childhood brain tumors conducted by one of the authors and fir st reported in 1990. Methods Analyses of the case-referent data were l imited to the 94 cases and 166 individually-matched referents for whom data on the biological fathers were available. Paternal exposure to o ccupational EMF was inferred from a list of job titles compiled for th at purpose. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (OR) for individually matched cases and referents were estimated for different definitions of exposu re. Results The findings suggested at best very small increases in ris k for jobs associated with the occupational EMF exposure of fathers du ring the one-year period prior to conception, the OR values ranging fr om 1.12 to 1.31. Notably elevated OR values were, however, found in as sociation with any paternal welding in the one-year preconception peri od (OR 3.8, 95% confidence interval 0.95-15.55). Conclusions The resul ts of reanalysis indicate that preconceptional paternal occupational e xposure to EMF is at best only weakly associated with a risk of childh ood brain tumors. However, the findings for paternal welding are somew hat intriguing since relatively strong EMF have been measured in assoc iation with welding. Further study of welding as a potential risk fact or is required since welders may be exposed to a wide range of toxic a gents in addition to EMF.