Publication related to RSI or an RSI staff member
Occupational exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and brain tumor risk: Application of the INTEROCC job-exposure matrix.
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF, 100 kHz to 300 GHz) are classified by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). This study evaluates the potential association between occupational RF-EMF exposure and brain tumor risk, utilizing for the first time, a RF-EMF job-exposure matrix (RF-JEM) developed in the multi-country INTEROCC case-control study. Cumulative and time-weighted average (TWA) occupational RF-EMF exposures were estimated for study participants based on lifetime job histories linked to the RF-JEM using three different methods: (1) by considering RF-EMF intensity among all exposed jobs, (2) by considering RF-EMF intensity among jobs with an exposure prevalence >/= the median exposure prevalence of all exposed jobs, and (3) by considering RF-EMF intensity of jobs of participants who reported RF-EMF source use. Stratified conditional logistic regression models were used, considering various lag periods and exposure time windows defined a priori. Generally, no clear associations were found for glioma or meningioma risk. However, some statistically significant positive associations were observed including in the highest exposure categories for glioma for cumulative and TWA exposure in the 1- to 4-year time window for electric fields (E) in the first JEM application method (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.08, 1.72 and 1.27, 95% CI 1.01, 1.59, respectively), as well as for meningioma for cumulative exposure in the 5- to 9-year time window for electric fields (E) in the third JEM application method (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.11, 4.78). We did not identify convincing associations between occupational RF-EMF exposure and risk of glioma or meningioma.
Authors
- Turuban, Maxime, Turuban M, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
- Kromhout, Hans, Kromhout H, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Vila, Javier, Vila J, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring, Wexford, Ireland.
- Vallbona-Vistos, Miquel, Vallbona-Vistos M, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
- De Vocht, Frank, De Vocht F, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.; NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West), Bristol, UK.
- Baldi, Isabelle, Baldi I, INSERM UMR 1219 Epicene Team, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France.; Service Santé Travail Environnement, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
- Richardson, Lesley, Richardson L, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Canada.
- Benke, Geza, Benke G, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Krewski, Daniel, Krewski D, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Parent, Marie-Elise, Parent ME, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
- Sadetzki, Siegal, Sadetzki S, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
- Schlehofer, Brigitte, Schlehofer B, Private, Leimen, Germany.
- Schuz, Joachim, Schuz J, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, Lyon, France.
- Siemiatycki, Jack, Siemiatycki J, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Canada.
- van Tongeren, Martie, van Tongeren M, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary care, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Woodward, Alistair, Woodward A, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Cardis, Elisabeth, Cardis E, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.; Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Turner, Michelle C, Turner MC, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.; Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF, 100 kHz to 300 GHz) are classified by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). This study evaluates the potential association between occupational RF-EMF exposure and brain tumor risk, utilizing for the first time, a RF-EMF job-exposure matrix (RF-JEM) developed in the multi-country INTEROCC case-control study. Cumulative and time-weighted average (TWA) occupational RF-EMF exposures were estimated for study participants based on lifetime job histories linked to the RF-JEM using three different methods: (1) by considering RF-EMF intensity among all exposed jobs, (2) by considering RF-EMF intensity among jobs with an exposure prevalence >/= the median exposure prevalence of all exposed jobs, and (3) by considering RF-EMF intensity of jobs of participants who reported RF-EMF source use. Stratified conditional logistic regression models were used, considering various lag periods and exposure time windows defined a priori. Generally, no clear associations were found for glioma or meningioma risk. However, some statistically significant positive associations were observed including in the highest exposure categories for glioma for cumulative and TWA exposure in the 1- to 4-year time window for electric fields (E) in the first JEM application method (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.08, 1.72 and 1.27, 95% CI 1.01, 1.59, respectively), as well as for meningioma for cumulative exposure in the 5- to 9-year time window for electric fields (E) in the third JEM application method (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.11, 4.78). We did not identify convincing associations between occupational RF-EMF exposure and risk of glioma or meningioma.