Fact Sheet on Magnetic Fields and Health

Written on 14 May 2026. Posted in News from ESC.

Exposure to magnetic fields at elevated levels may, according to research, cause a range of harmful health effects, including an increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The risks increase at levels from approximately 0.2–0.4 microtesla. Current safety limits recommended by the EU are 100 microtesla for the general public. They protect only against immediate effects.

Elevated alternating magnetic fields occur, for example, near power lines, railway tracks, transformer stations, electrical wiring, and electrical appliances. Elevated magnetic fields are also present in various vehicles, on trains, and are emitted by mobile phones, wireless headphones, computers, and more. Stray currents in multi-dwelling buildings in urban areas are also a common cause of elevated magnetic fields.

This article was written by the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation.

What Does Research Show About Health Risks?

For several decades, research has reported that exposure to elevated magnetic fields increases the risk of:

childhood leukemia
adult cancers
Alzheimer’s disease
dementia
miscarriage
brain tumors in both adults and children

Animal and cellular studies have shown harmful effects on the brain, oxidative stress in cells, and DNA damage, among other outcomes.

According to a compilation by Professor Henry Lai (USA, December 2025)¹, research on the effects of low-frequency magnetic fields since 1990 shows:

Oxidative stress: 91% (313 of 345 studies) show significant effects
Genetic effects: 83% (342 of 411 studies) show significant effects
Neurological effects: 91% (352 of 385 studies) show significant effects
Fertility and development: 78% (81 of 104 studies) show significant effects

In 2002, the WHO’s cancer research agency, International Agency for Research on Cancer, classified low-frequency magnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic” (Group 2B). This classification was primarily based on repeated studies showing an increased risk of childhood leukemia associated with magnetic fields near power lines.

What Levels Are Recommended?

The ICNIRP and the EU Commission has recommended a level of 100 microtesla (μT) as the maximum level considered safe for the public, including children. However, this level only protects against immediate nerve stimulation effects.

For occupational exposure, the reference value is 200 microtesla, and for trains 300 microtesla.

However, researchers have repeatedly reported increased risks of serious diseases—such as cancer, ALS, and Alzheimer’s—at levels starting from 0.2 microtesla, which is far below the ICNIRP and EU limits.

Other researchers and experts therefore recommend significantly lower maximum levels:

EuropaAM EMF Guidelines 2016²: 0.1 μT (0.03 μT for particularly sensitive individuals)
BioInitiative Report 2012³: 0.1 μT

Research on Health Effects of Magnetic Fields

Below are examples of research findings:

Childhood Leukemia

1993 (Sweden): Increased risk above 0.2 μT⁴
2014: Meta-analysis (9 studies) shows increased risk from power line exposure.⁵
2021: Meta-analysis (30 studies) confirms increased risk.⁶
2022: Systematic review and meta-analysis confirm increased risk.⁷

Brain Tumors

2011: Increased risk of meningioma among people living within 100 m of power lines or occupationally exposed⁸
2020: Increased risk among residents within 50 m of power lines⁹
2025: Increased risk in children exposed to ≥0.4 μT¹⁰

Other Cancers

1995 (Sweden): Increased leukemia risk in adults at ≥0.2 μT¹¹
2011: Meta-analysis shows increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at ≥2 μT¹²
2018: Increased leukemia risk with long-term occupational exposure¹³

Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

2018: Meta-analysis (20 studies) shows a 63% increased risk with occupational exposure.¹⁴
2026: Large Swiss cohort study (~3.5 million individuals) shows increased risk from residential exposure near power lines.¹⁵

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

2015: Increased risk with long-term occupational exposure¹⁶
2020: Meta-analysis (27 studies) confirms increased risk.¹⁷

Miscarriage

2023: Meta-analysis (>900 studies) shows increased risk associated with EMF exposure (including mobile base stations and phones).¹⁸
2017: Cohort study (913 women) shows increased risk (2.27 times higher) at exposure >0.25 μT.¹⁹

REFERENCES

https://www.saferemr.com/2018/02/effects-of-exposure-to-electromagnetic.htm
https://www.stralskyddsstiftelsen.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/EUROPAEM-EMF-Guideline-2016-for-the-prevention-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-EMF-related-health-problems-and-illnesses.pdf
https://bioinitiative.org/conclusions/
Feychting M, Ahlbom A. Magnetic fields and cancer in children residing near Swedish high-voltage power lines. Am J Epidemiol. 1993
Zhao L et al. Magnetic fields exposure and childhood leukemia risk: a meta-analysis based on 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls. Leuk Res. 2014.
Seomun G et al.. Exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and childhood cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2021
Brabant C et al.. Exposure to magnetic fields and childhood leukemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Rev Environ Health. 2022
Baldi I et al. . Occupational and residential exposure to electromagnetic fields and risk of brain tumors in adults: a case-control study in Gironde, France. Int J Cancer. 2011
Carles C et al. Residential proximity to power lines and risk of brain tumor in the general population. Environ Res. 2020
Correa-Correa V et al. Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and radiofrequency: Risk of childhood CNS tumors in a city with elevated ELF-MF exposure. Environ Res. 2025
Feychting M et al. Occupational and residential magnetic field exposure and leukemia and central nervous system tumors. Epidemiology. 1997
Wang X et al. [Occupational and residential exposure to electric and magnetic field and its relationship on acute myeloid leukemia in adults – A Meta-analysis]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi. 2011
Huss A. Swiss National Cohort. Occupational extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) exposure and hematolymphopoietic cancers – Swiss National Cohort analysis and updated meta-analysis. Environ Res. 2018
Jailian H et al. Occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and risk of Alzheimer disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis, 2018
Sandoval-Diez et al. Long-term residential magnetic field exposure and neurodegenerative disease mortality: An 18-year nationwide cohort study in Switzerland, 2026.
Huss A. et al Swiss National Cohort. Occupational exposure to magnetic fields and electric shocks and risk of ALS: the Swiss National Cohort. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener. 2015
Jalilian H. et al. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and electric shocks: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Environ Health. 2020
Irani M et al. Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Abortion in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Malays J Med Sci. 2023.
Li DK et al. Exposure to Magnetic Field Non-Ionizing Radiation and the Risk of Miscarriage: A Prospective Cohort Study. Sci Rep. 2017.