Résumé :
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[BDSP. Notice produite par INIST R0xB2087. Diffusion soumise à autorisation]. Above-average exposure to electromagnetic fields has been associated with certain nonmalignant medical conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, other neurologic diseases, depressive symptoms, and suicide. The authors conducted a nationwide mortality study in Denmark of 21,236 men employed in utility companies between 1900 and 1993. The causes of death were ascertained for January 1,1974, through December 31,1993, and cause-specific mortality was analyzed by latency and estimated levels of exposure to 50-Hz electromagnetic fields. Overall, 3,540 deaths were observed as compared with 3,709 expected from national mortality rates, yielding a standardized mortality ratio of 0.96 (95% confidence interval 0.93-0.99). A slight excess in mortality from cancer was due to deaths from cancers of the lung and pleural cavity, probably because of exposure to asbestos. A twofold increase in mortality from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and a tenfold increase in mortality from electrical accidents were seen on the basis of 14 and 10 deaths, respectively, the former increasing with time since first employment in a utility company. The excess mortality from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis seems to be associated with above-average levels of exposure to electromagnetic fields and may be due to repeated episodes with electric shocks.
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