Suggestion of concomitant changes of electric power consumption and childhood leukemia in Greece

Abstract

Over a 14-year period (1976–89) 679 deaths from childhood leukemia were registered in Greece and the corresponding mortality over this period declined by almost 70%, with no evidence of differential reduction by gender or population type. For each of the nine geographical regions of the country, slopes of decreasing mortality from childhood leukemia over the study period were calculated and correlated with the corresponding slopes of increasing electric power consumption over the 16-year period 1970–85 (allowing for a postulated latency of about 5 years). A positive association was noted, which however was not statistically significant (p∼0.26). Studies of similar nature conducted in larger countries over more extended periods could contribute to the resolution of the controversy surrounding the role of electric power-generated extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields in the etiology of childhood leukemia.