EMFs And Miscarriage Risk

Maximum EMF Exposure Emerges As Strong Miscarriage Risk

May/June 2001

A new and innovative epidemiological study has found an up to sixfold increased risk of spontaneous abortions among women exposed to magnetic fields of 16 mG or greater. The results “should have wide implications,” concludes Dr. De-Kun Li, who led the study team at Kaiser Permanente’s research division in Oakland, CA.

Unlike past efforts, which have essentially all used average fields, Li focused on maximummagnetic field (MMF) as the key index of exposure. While Li found miscarriage risks that are significantly higher for women who had an MMF of at least 16mG, he saw no excess for women with time-weighted averages (TWA) of 3mG or more. Nor did he observe any increased risk for elevated spot electromagnetic field (EMF) measurements or with wire codes.

“With TWAs you are diluting any possible effect because you are combining relevant and irrelevant exposures,” Li told Microwave News.In a paper summarizing his results, Li argued that, “It seemed more plausible to us that MF exposure has a threshold below which any exposure is biologically irrelevant.” Li’s paper is an appendix to the as-yet-unreleased final report of the California EMF Project (see p.2). An advance copy of Li’s paper was obtained by Microwave News.

“My study convinced me that EMFs probably have a biological effect,” Li said. “We are entering a new chapter in the field of EMF epidemiology. There is more evidence that there is an association -the better-conducted studies consistently show an association.”