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Experimental validation of a statistical model for evaluating the past or future magnetic field exposures of a population living near power lines
Author(s) -
Turgeon Alain,
Bourdages Michel,
Levallois Patrick,
Gauvin Denis,
Gingras Suzanne,
Deadman Jan Erik,
Goulet Daniel L.,
Plante Michel
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.20002
Subject(s) - bioelectromagnetics , statistics , statistical power , population , geometric mean , mathematics , statistical model , power (physics) , magnetic field , physics , medicine , environmental health , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
This study was designed to provide an experimental validation for a statistical model predicting past or future exposures to magnetic fields (MF) from power lines. The model estimates exposure, combining the distribution of ambient MF in the absence of power lines with the distribution of past or future MF produced by power lines. In the study, validation is carried out by comparing exposures predicted by the model with the actual measurements obtained from a large‐scale epidemiological study. The comparison was made for a group of 220 women living near a 735 kV power line. Knowing that the individual arithmetic means of MF exposures follow a log‐normal distribution, the Pearson correlation between the log‐transformed measured means and the calculated ones was determined and found to be 0.77. Predicted values of MF exposures were slightly lower than measured values. The calculated geometric mean of the group was 0.33 μT, compared to 0.38 μT for the measured geometric mean. The present study shows good agreement between the measured MF exposure of an individual inside a house near a 735 kV line and the MF exposure calculated using a statistical model. Bioelectromagnetics 25:374–379, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.