Power lines and Alzheimer’s disease

A Swiss study has recently been published in which the number of deaths with Alzheimer’s disease registered as the primary or secondary cause of death was observed to have approximately doubled among people who lived for more than 10 years within a distance of 50 metres from a power line. The Health Council of the Netherland’s Electromagnetic Fields Committee has evaluated this study in consultation with the Knowledge Platform Electromagnetic Fields and Health, taking also into account data from other studies. This evaluation has been reviewed by the Health Council’s Standing Committee on Radiation and Health. In this advisory letter, I report the final findings and conclusions made by the Electromagnetic Fields Committee.