송전로 주변과 비주변 초등학생을 대상으로 극저주파 자기장 노출과 뇨중 멜라토닌 분비량간의 상관성 연구

Relationship Between Urinary Levels and ExtremelyLow Frequency Magnetic Fields for the Selected PrimarySchoolchildren Living Nearby and Away from OverheadTranmission Power Line

The present study investigated the hypothesis that a extremely low frequency magnetic field partially suppresses the synthesis of melatonin in a group of 28 primary schoolchildren living nearby and 60 primary schoolchildren aged 12 years living far away from overhead transmission power lines from December 2003 to April 2004 in Seoul, Korea. The mean personal exposure levels of the primary schoolchildren living nearby overhead transmission power line were 0.37 mT, whereas the value for the primary schoolchildren living away from overhead transmission power line 0.05 mT. From simple analyses, the mean melatonin levels in the primary schoolchildren living nearby were lower than away from overhead transmission power line, but not statistically significant differences in the levels of the melatonin (p=0.2421), whereas the statistically significant differences in the levels of the melatonin related to the distance from residence to power line less and more than 100 m by cut-off point (p=0.0139). In multiple linear regression analyses, distance from residence to power line (p=0.0146) and dietary habit about burned meat (p=0.0170) proved to be significant risk factors in the mean nocturnal melatonin levels in the primary schoolchildren. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that urinary levels of nocturnal melatonin are not altered in primary schoolchildren exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic field(ELF-MF) at overhead transmission power line.