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Contact voltage measured in residences: implications to the association between magnetic fields and childhood leukemia

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Authors not listed · 2002

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Contact currents from home water systems may explain childhood leukemia risks better than magnetic fields alone.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers measured magnetic fields and contact voltages in 36 homes in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, finding that voltage between water pipes and earth correlated strongly with residential magnetic fields. This contact voltage, which can flow through children during baths when they touch faucets, may explain the established link between high magnetic field homes and childhood leukemia.

Why This Matters

This study offers a compelling mechanistic explanation for one of EMF science's most persistent findings: the association between residential magnetic fields and childhood leukemia. The science demonstrates that homes with high magnetic fields also have elevated contact voltages in their water systems, creating a pathway for current to flow directly through a child's body during bathing. Put simply, the magnetic fields themselves may not be the primary threat - it's the electrical currents they induce in household plumbing systems. What this means for you is that the EMF exposure in your home extends beyond just magnetic fields to include contact currents that can deliver substantial electrical doses to bone marrow, where blood cells are produced. The reality is that our homes' electrical and plumbing systems can interact in ways that create unexpected exposure pathways, particularly for children during routine activities like bathing.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (2002). Contact voltage measured in residences: implications to the association between magnetic fields and childhood leukemia.
Show BibTeX
@article{contact_voltage_measured_in_residences_implications_to_the_association_between_magnetic_fields_and_childhood_leukemia_ce1508,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {Contact voltage measured in residences: implications to the association between magnetic fields and childhood leukemia},
  year = {2002},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.10038},
  
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.10038PubMed: 12210565

Quick Questions About This Study

Two sources create contact voltage: current flowing through grounding wires connected to water pipes, and magnetic induction from nearby power lines that induces currents in the water system itself, creating voltage differences between faucets and drains.
Children touching faucets while immersed in bathtubs can experience current flowing through their bodies to the drain. This creates substantial electrical dose to bone marrow, where blood cells develop, potentially explaining leukemia associations.
The study doesn't specify why Pittsfield was chosen, but the 36 homes provided a range of magnetic field levels and proximity to transmission lines, allowing researchers to correlate field strength with contact voltages.
Yes, homes near high voltage transmission lines showed the highest water-to-earth voltages. Magnetic induction from power lines creates currents in home grounding systems, which include water pipes, generating measurable contact voltages.
Water-to-earth voltage correlated strongly with residential magnetic fields (r=0.54, P<0.001). However, grounding wire voltage showed weaker correlation (r=0.28), suggesting different mechanisms create these two voltage sources in homes.