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Male proportion in offspring of parents exposed to strong static and extremely low‐frequency electromagnetic fields in Norway
Author(s) -
Irgens Ågot,
Krüger Kirsti,
Skorve Anne H.,
Irgens Lorentz M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199711)32:5<557::aid-ajim19>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - offspring , medicine , population , demography , relative risk , pregnancy , environmental health , biology , confidence interval , genetics , sociology
Reduced male proportion in offspring of male carbon setters prompted a study into whether offspring of workers exposed to strong static and extremely low‐frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF) had a deviant sex ratio. The study was based on all births in Norway 1970–1993. The reference population was offspring of parents not exposed to ELF. The male proportion in offspring of men in aluminum works was 50.38%, RR 0.98 (0.94–1.03), in manganese works 47.32%, RR 0.92 (0.83–1.02), in factories producing iron 50.03%, RR 0.97 (0.93–1.02), in nickel works 48.27%, RR 0.94 (0.84–1.05), and in electric wire production 47.20%, RR 0.92 (0.80–1.05). In the offspring of women in aluminum works, the male proportion was 37.04%, RR 0.72 (0.59–0.90), in all smelter works grouped together, 45.13%, RR 0.88 (0.79–0.99). The male proportion in the reference population was 51.42%. The male proportion in offspring of men in industries with ELF, was slightly reduced, while offspring of women was significantly reduced. Am. J. Ind. Med. 32:557–561, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.