EM fields--another risk factor for ALS?

Electromagnetic fields are something that all of us are exposed to every day.  Our cell phones, household appliances, and radio waves—even visible light—all give off forms of electromagnetic radiation.  Prolonged exposure to certain types of radiation are associated with a greater risk of cancer, but a new study suggests that electromagnetic fields may play a part in developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (New Scientist, 2017).

ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the patient’s ability to control voluntary muscle movements.  Eventually, this condition may lead to the loss of the ability to speak, eat, and breathe (ALS Association, 2017).  ALS can lead to death in less than two years from the onset of symptoms (New Scientist, 2017).  Examples of celebrities who suffer(ed) from ALS include renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, NFL player Steve Gleason, and Yankee’s first baseman Lou Gehrig.  In fact, ALS is sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  Below is a video of Lou Gehrig's farewell address at Yankee Stadium after being diagnosed.

Anyway, this study suggests that occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields might be to blame for the development of ALS.  Some of the jobs that the article cites as high risk are electric line installers, welders, sewing machine operators, and aircraft pilots.  In this analysis, the listed groups were twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population.  Although there appears to be a link between electromagnetic fields and ALS, researchers still do not understand the mechanism behind it.  The study does note that out of the 64,500 subjects involved, only 82 actually developed the disease.  This means the study barely passed the test for statistical significance (New Scientist, 2017). 

Going forward, it is important for more studies in this area to be done in order to confirm or refute the findings of this one.  This is one good thing the ALS ice bucket challenge did.  In addition to raising awareness about ALS, it also helped fund studies such as this one, that may help find a cure.

This week, I would also like to encourage my readers to check out my friend Joe’s blog.  Each week he writes about a different topic regarding the engineering that goes into creating music.  For example, last week Joe wrote about a mechanism for automatically tuning a piano.  A process that once took about an hour, can now be done in less than a minute.  This system works by sending an electrical current through the strings of the piano, which causes them to change their pitch.  If you are a musician, or are interested in music in general, I would definitely recommend you check out Joe’s blog, Manufacturing the Music.

MLB. (1 July 2014). Gehrig delivers his famous speech at Yankee Stadium.  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNLKPaThYkE

New Scientist staff and Press Association.  (29 March 2017).  ALS linked to occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields.  Retrieved from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2126263-als-linked-to-occupational-exposure-to-electromagnetic-fields/

The ALS Association.  (2017). What is ALS? Retrieved from: http://www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html??referrer=https://www.google.com/