Denis Henshaw's Powerfrequency EMF Column

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My name is Denis Henshaw. I am a Professor of Physics and the head of the Human Radiation Effect Group at the University of Bristol. The Group carries out research into the effects on the human body of both ionising and non-ionising radiation. In addition to the environmental factors linked to childhood leukaemia, the Group is researching the role of corona ion emission from high voltage powerlines and of magnetic fields in the various health effects linked to electric and magnetic field exposures. The Group is supported by CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA and the UK Department of Health. In the 1980s, Professor Henshaw pioneered the assessment of radon by schoolchildren (using a special plastic material called TASTRAK). The results from the schools study caused a large-scale government-funded re-assessment of UK radon levels which had previously been greatly under-estimated.

Powerfrequency EMF Column: Recent Entries

Adverse effects associated with exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields - assembly of scientific evidence and discussion of possible public health impact

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Post Date/Time: 26/09/2006 11:33:00

We do not think it is rational to base an assessment on childhood leukaemia alone, when most of the hypothesised mechanisms and their supporting evidence relates to biological systems involved in many diseases, rather than exclusively to childhood leukaemia. The decreasing Degree of Certainty with greater numbers of diseases is however reflected in the credibility factors. Therefore, while there remains considerable uncertainty and imprecision in such assessments, it seems sensible to give consideration to the above scenarios and multiple outcomes, without adopting any one as definitive.

Clustering of Childhood Leukaemia and Childhood Cancer in Great Britain - Response to the COMARE 11th Report

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Post Date/Time: 20/07/2006 12:19:00

The statement in the Report that the non-random distributions of childhood cancer could be due to various distributions of carcinogenic risk factors are welcomed. However, the lack of specific mention of some of the factors widely reported in the research literature as being linked to childhood leukaemia and childhood cancer is disappointing. For example...

Critique of the latest HPA-RPD report on melatonin and cancer

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Post Date/Time: 02/03/2006 12:00:00

Some parts of the Report are satisfactory but the melatonin/cancer connection is not well illustrated considering the large amount of data available. As a result, the Report is rather un-authoritative when it discusses melatonin and cancer. There appears to be scientific misunderstanding and confusion in certain areas and lack of insightful comment. The widely differing concentrations of melatonin in blood, within cells and in certain organs is not discussed nor the reasons for its efficacy as an antioxidant and radical scavenger.