EMF studies are ongoing around the world, including childhood leukemia studies in Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results are expected over the next few years. Decisions on future EMF research after that probably will depend on the outcome of these ongoing studies. A number of EMF research and risk evaluation programs are nearing completion or are in the process of evaluating EMF research conducted to date.

Following are summary discussions of research in the U.S. and around the world. Click on the links for more details.

Association

Synonym: correlation or relationship. A statistical dependence between two or more events or variables.

Bias

Prejudice. Something that may skew the results; having the results appear greater or less than that which is real.

Biological effect

An effect that occurs naturally in the human body. An example: the pupils of the eye will change according to the difference in lighting.

Calculated Fields

Indirect estimate of magnetic fields using current load data and distance to power lines, usually calculated by a software program.

In recent years, concerns have been raised about a possible link between exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF) and adverse health conditions.  

Scientific Studies and Reviews

Thousands of studies on this subject have been done throughout the world, with results that are often hard to interpret and sometimes conflicting.  A number of internationally recognized scientific organizations and independent regulatory advisory groups have conducted scientific reviews of the EMF research literature.

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