Subject: A Sick City Syndrome (SCS)? (Maisch)(Bowman)..
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 084703 -0600 (CST)
From: "Roy L. Beavers"
To: emfguru
--------------------------------------------------
.....I very much appreciate Dr. Joe Bowman's submission below....
His comments, plus Nancy Wertheimer's work which follows, reinforce
guru's original observation, to the effect that: the ubiquitous presence
of EMF in our environment today makes it difficult for epidemiological
studies to achieve the higher risk factor rsults (which might be more
persuasive to the "doubters").
But -- honestly -- I believe the doubters are 'that way' out of 'conflict
of interest' considerations ... rather than genuine intellectual "doubt."
They (particularly the "science" doubters) know and well understand the
epidemiological "reality" here.... It is simply that the low risk factors
(which are being found as a result of the researchers inability to locate
'control groups' that have not been exposed to EMF) are being used as the
basis for a "cop-out" of both "science" and "governmental" responsibility
-- as in the NIEHS conclusions......
[......This "Ugly Secret" was first discussed on EMF-L in guru's "Blue
World" paper -- now on the new web-site as well as on the Bridlewood
site and perhaps one or two others. It is also mentioned in guru's
rebuttal to the official U.S. government position on the web-site.....]
BTW..... Dr. David Carpenter, the state of New York's leading EMF
authority, has been making this same point for perhaps ten years or
more. But his pleas, too, have been ignored or ridiculed by people
("scientists") who know better.......
Cheerio......(Many thanks, Joe!).....
Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
roy@emfguru.com
.....It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.....
NEW!!! Website
...................People are more important than profits.................
DO YOU KNOW OF OTHERS WHO SHOULD BE ON THIS LIST???
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 09:09:41 -0500
From: "Bowman, Joseph D."
To: "'Roy L. Beavers'"
Subject: RE: A Sick City Syndrome (SCS)? (Maisch)..
Canaberra's practice of grounding building wiring to plumbing sounds like a
common phenominom in the U.S.. Since the plumbing sometimes the ground
currents through the living quarters and into neighbors houses, magnetic
fields in whole neighborhoods well away from high-voltage lines are
increased on average (see EPRI's 1000 home survey by Zaffanella and
coworkers at Enertech).
Moreover, the increased fields have been linked to increased risks of
childhood leukemia. Below is the abstract of a paper by Nancy Werthimer on
just that topic.
The prudent solution to the ground current issue lies in revising electrical
codes and re-grounding homes with high magnetic fields due to ground
currents.
Joseph D. Bowman, PhD, CIH
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Radiation Section / PAEB/ DBBS
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
E-mail: jdb0@cdc.gov
Phone: 513-533-8143
FAX: 513-533-8510
My opinions are not necessarily the policies of NIOSH or the U.S.
government.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Childhood cancer in relation to indicators of magnetic fields from ground
current sources.
Wertheimer N, Savitz DA, Leeper E
Bioelectromagnetics 1995;16(2):86-96
This study examines childhood cancer risk in relation to certain factors
likely to indicate magnetic field exposure from ground
currents in the home. Substantial ground currents are most often found in
homes having conductive plumbing, in which an
uninterrupted metallic path in the water pipes and water main connects the
grounding systems of neighboring houses.
Information on plumbing conductivity was obtained from water suppliers for
the homes of 347 cases and 277 controls identified
in an earlier study of magnetic field exposure and childhood cancer in the
Denver area. An increased cancer risk was observed
for children in homes with conductive plumbing: The matched odds ratio was
1.72 (1.03-2.88) and increased to 3.00
(1.33-6.76) when analysis was limited to cases and controls who were
residentially stable from the reference date to the study
date. A measurement metric likely to indicate active ground currents
(measurements having above-median intensity and a
nonvertical orientation of < 55 degrees from the horizontal) was identified.
In contrast to measured field intensity alone, for
which only modest associations with cancer have been reported, this metric
shows a high and significant cancer risk [matched
O.R. = 4.0 (1.6-10.0)] consistent over a range of intensity and angle
cutpoints. Such elevated nonvertical fields were also
associated with cancer in an independent data set, which was gathered to
study adult nonlymphocytic leukemia in the Seattle
area. The associations of cancer with conductive plumbing and with this
exposure metric both suggest that cancer risk is
increased among persons with elevated magnetic field exposure from
residential ground currents.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roy L. Beavers [SMTP:rbeavers@llion.org]
> Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 8:29 AM
> To: emfguru
> Subject: A Sick City Syndrome (SCS)? (Maisch)..
>
>
>
> ........Verrry interesting!!! One thing is for sure, Don, in answer
> to your question -- it would sure screw up any epidemiological study
> results...... A classic case of "why?" we are getting epidemiological
> results that are artificially LOW RISK factors.....
>
> Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
> roy@emfguru.com
>
> .....It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.....
> NEW!!! Website
> ...................People are more important than profits.................
>
> DO YOU KNOW OF OTHERS WHO SHOULED BE ON THIS LIST???
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 20:39:11 +1000
> From: Don Maisch
> To: rbeavers@mail.llion.org
> Subject: A case of Sick City Syndrome (SCS)?
>
> Dear Roy
>
> Apparently the entire capital city of Australia, CANBERRA has an
> electrical
> problem that I would request comment on from members on this list.
>
> Up to the last few years the common practice in building wiring in
> Canberra
> was NOT to have an earth grounding stake but to wire up the metal water
> piping system to fullfill this role.
>
> Recently I received a call from a resident of Canberra who seemed to be
> having health problems related to excessive EMF exposures at home. I sent
> her a meter and survey protocol to use for two weeks. What she is finding
> indicates that high magnetic field levels in homes may be common in that
> city as the water system is acting as an intregral part of the electrical
> supply system.
>
> What would be the possible consequences of an entire city having this
> situation?
>
> Regards
>
> Don Maisch
>
>
>
> _______________________________
>
> EMFacts Consultancy
> PO Box 96,
> North Hobart, 7002
> Tasmania, Australia
> Phone: (03) 62430195
> Fax: (03) 62430340
> Email: emfacts@trump.net.au
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> Web: http://www.tassie.net.au/emfacts/
> ______________________________
>
>
>
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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com