Monday, Mar. 29, 1993

Power Lines Revisited

WHEN DECIDING WHICH MEDICAL STUDIES TO BElieve, it's usually wise to consider who's paying the bill. Not always, though. While some research suggests that electromagnetic fields -- the kind given off by power lines and household appliances -- may increase the incidence of cancer, the latest in-depth study of the question shows no evidence of danger. Even though the research was financed by Southern California Edison, a major electric utility with an obvious financial stake in exonerating its product, the findings, published in the journal Epidemiology, appear to be legitimate.

Even scientists who are concerned about power lines acknowledge that the Edison study was a good one. Researchers from the company and from UCLA looked at more than 36,000 Edison employees who had on-the-job exposure to EMFs. Those with the highest exposure did not have especially high cancer rates. Does this prove that EMFs don't cause cancer? No -- just that we still don't know.