Child leukaemia "not linked" to Powerlines?

[CORed]

One of the ways they keep areas around power lines, pipeline easements, etc, clear of foliage is by spraying defoliants. Could be that in the 60's and 70's, they were using defoliants that have since been phased out?

Agent Orange?

 

[RationalVetMed]

One word: PCB's...

One acronym, surely

Yuri

 

[joesixpack]

Agent Orange?

Probably 2,4-D, which was a component of Agent Orange, but is not Agent Orange by itself, and it's still widely used out here on tree farms

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Only in movies featuring your namesake!

I'm actually nearly four years older than Gojira. His sixtieth birthday is this November.

 

[fishbob]

Headline: Child leukaemia "not linked to Powerlines".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26068363

Any thoughts on the highlighted part? Is this the "1 time out of 20" margin of error? If so, which way?

Electrical transformers used to contain PCB oil? More transformers near the power lines maybe?

ETA: Also, old power poles were creosote soaked wood. Newer power poles are steel or concrete.
ETA2: better late than never.

 

[lomiller]

No real surprise here. Pre-1980 rates would most likely be due to carcinogens used in the electoral gear of the time.

 

[Dr. Imago]

If I didn't chalk this up to observation bias, the only other plausible mechanism would be the accidental spilling of chemicals around the power lines during the installation process. Remember there was a vast expansion of the power grid during these times and PCBs and other potentially carcinogenic chemicals were routinely used during this time in transformers, etc.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/pcb/docs/pcb.pdf

One word: PCB's. Yes, there are clusters around transformer cites that have leaked PCB transformer oil.

Thanks for the acknowledgment.

~Dr. Imago

 

[geni]

No real surprise here. Pre-1980 rates would most likely be due to carcinogens used in the electoral gear of the time.

Unlikely. Exposure levels to the public would be fairly low in such cases. The usual suggestion is lower cost hosing near power lines resulting in a link to poverty.

 

[fishbob]

Unlikely. Exposure levels to the public would be fairly low in such cases. The usual suggestion is lower cost hosing near power lines resulting in a link to poverty.

PCBs especially were not a significant exposure as long as they remained in the transformers. But dumping used oil, dumping the transformer to make it easier to lift, just being sloppy with the transformer oil were common practices way back then. And the dumping was concentrated near where the product was used.

 

[welshdean]

No real surprise here. Pre-1980 rates would most likely be due to carcinogens used in the electoral gear of the time.

Yes, some say that Mrs Thatcher made a lot of people feel quite sick.

 

[catsmate]

Yes, some say that Mrs Thatcher made a lot of people feel quite sick.

 

[Dr. Imago]

PCBs especially were not a significant exposure as long as they remained in the transformers. But dumping used oil, dumping the transformer to make it easier to lift, just being sloppy with the transformer oil were common practices way back then. And the dumping was concentrated near where the product was used.

Yes.

As I said before, it is difficult fathom the allure of a loud, humming green box to a curious 13-year-old boy unless you were one once.

~Dr. Imago