The study, published in March 1994, showed a link between ELF exposure and an increased risk of leukemia. A further study on Quebec and French utility workers showed a strong association between pulsed electro-magnetic fields and lung cancer.

Another study funded by Ontario Hydro and Health and Welfare Canada, under the direction of Dr. Rosemonde Mandeville, is looking at the role of ELF in initiating and promoting cancer in rats. Other researchers are studying the effects of ELF on human cell cultures.

M. Granger Morgan, head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, put it this way: "There is clear evidence that ELF fields can produce hormonal and other changes in living things. It is not yet clear if these changes can result in risks to public health."

In fact, until more definitive studies are completed, the final answers will not be in for many years to come. Meanwhile, I believe it is wise to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to ELF fields whenever possible.

Vlf Waves

Very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic waves are also emitted by the computer and have been linked to numerous health problems. As Bob DeMatteo says, the large majority of Soviet studies have shown significant biological effects produced by the VLF on the central nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. These include alterations in blood chemistry, increased blood pressure, behavioral changes, metabolic effects on the brain, liver and muscles as well as structural changes in the reproductive organs.

In fifteen different locations in Europe and North America, there have been groups or clusters of VDT workers who reported an increased rate of miscarriage and birth defects.

Usually, the VDT machines used by these women were not checked for ELF or VLF emissions; in fact, in most cases, the machines were not checked at all or checked with inadequate equipment.

In one of the most recently reported studies, Dr. Marilyn Goldhaber and her colleagues studied 1,538 women attending The Kaiser Clinic between 1981 and 1982. These researchers found that women who worked with VDT screens more than 20 hours a week experienced a risk of early and late miscarriage, 80 percent higher than women doing non-VDT work.

A large Canadian study under the direction of Dr. Alison McDonald in Montreal interviewed 56,012 women in maternity wards. It showed that part-time VDT users (between seven and 29 hours per week) had an increased miscarriage rate compared to non-users. However, full-time VDT workers did not show any increased miscarriage rate. Actual levels of exposure to electric and magnetic fields were not measured, yet this study is often cited as proof that computers are safe for pregnant women.

Dr. Alexander Martin of Western University in London, Ontario, was part of a six center study that demonstrated an increase in birth defects among chick embryos exposed to VLF electromagnetic fields.

In December 1983, Dr. Marha, a scientist and expert in occupational health and his colleague, electrical engineer David Charron, suggested that although no demonstrable link between VLF and pregnancy outcomes had yet been proven, the government should start discussion about the feasibility of shielding VDT users from VLF waves. Computers are now partially screened for VLF radiation. In Sweden, the government has issued strict guidelines for VLF and ELF radiation levels allowable for computers.

Dr. Maria Stochly of Canada's Bureau of Radiation and Medical Devices, reported that rats exposed to magnetic fields, "showed some evidence of a toxic response to the magnetic fields."

At the second International VDT Conference held in Montreal in Sept/89, Dr. Michael Wiley of The University of Toronto Medical School reported on the results of his study which was funded by Ontario Hydro and IBM. He found no discernable effects on mouse embryos exposed to pulsed magnetic fields.

At the same conference, Dr. Hakow Frulen, a Swedish VDT radiation expert, found in his research that pulsed magnetic fields could harm the developing mouse embryos, especially in the first nine days after conception.