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Long-term residential magnetic field exposure and neurodegenerative disease mortality: An 18-year nationwide cohort study in Switzerland

AI: Melanie Research RF Safe Research Library Feb 11, 2026 CONCERN MEDIUM

This 18-year nationwide Swiss cohort study modelled long-term residential ELF magnetic field exposure from high-voltage power lines (50 Hz) and railway lines (16.7 Hz) and examined neurodegenerative disease mortality. High-voltage power line exposure was associated with higher mortality from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, while railway-line associations were weaker and attenuated after adjustment for environmental co-exposures. No associations were reported for ALS, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis, and the authors note limited causal inference due to lack of established mechanisms.

Key points

  • The study followed 3,555,064 adults from 2001 to 2018, contributing 55.4 million person-years.
  • Long-term ELF-MF exposure was modelled for high-voltage power lines (50 Hz) and railway lines (16.7 Hz) using validated proximity models updated across four time intervals.
  • High-voltage power line exposure was positively associated with Alzheimer's disease mortality and other dementia mortality.
  • Railway-line exposure showed weaker associations that were attenuated after adjustment for environmental co-exposures.
  • No associations were observed for mortality from ALS, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis.
  • Less than 1% of the population had long-term exposure ≥ 0.3 µT from high-voltage power lines and 2.4% from railway lines.

Referenced studies & papers

Source: Open original

AI-generated summaries may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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