Will Riding Electric Trains cause cancer?

[Anonymous]

Like you are right under the wire...You are standing waiting for the train near the wire and you have trouble using AM radio on a train that is electric.
Heres a Link-http://www.midtod.com/9603/voltage.phtml

[Anonymous]

Sure hope you don't stand too close to your cellphone. Those microwaves will kill you!

Yeah, Right!

[oltmannd]

...or make toast , or use a hair dryer, or an electic dryer, etc.

[Junctionfan]

I doubt it. Unless there is some decent and credible medical evidence, I wouldn't think much of it.

[tree68]

According to research done some years ago, dimes cause cancer. The researchers implanted dimes in the abdomens of lab mice. The results were such that they could say the dimes caused cancer.

IMHO, two things are needed to cause cancer: A catalyst (like smoking or chemicals) and a person's predisposition to suffer that sort of cancer. This is being borne out by research. (Sorry, can't cite any sources). You'd have to live in very close proximity to the HV source (which would have to be AC, besides) to have any sort of negative outcome (besides electrocution).

[UPTRAIN]

Grab that wire, that'll do a number on ya, not the microwaves, lol.

[jeaton]

Knew guys who spent 40-50 years working under cat. Also have a couple of friends who retired from work as lineman at Com Ed. Don't know of anybody in those jobs who died of cancer.

I'll bet there is a major fight going on between the "cancer from electricity" and the "fried brain cells from electricity" groups as they try to get government funding for research.

Jay

[Anonymous]

Will Riding Electric Trains cause cancer?

Just the same as riding diesel locomotives will give you iron lung.

[Anonymous]

If 60Hz AC gives you cancer it should show up in studies with electric blankets. Because it is both a maximum wattage home appliance and it covers you like, well, a blanket and it's there all night exposing you to a greater electromagnetic field than any other AC appliance.

Many studies have looked for a link between electric blankets and several types of cancer and no link has been proved.

This makes me wonder if steam locomotive crews got cancer from the smoke.

[mvlandsw]

How about from riding those AC units with much higher currents and field strength?

[jchnhtfd]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: there have been many studies over the years, financed primarily by the NIMBY and Luddite legal communities, seeking to demonstrate a link between electromagnetic fields in the ultra low frequency band (25 hz to 400 hz) and disease, particularly cancer. This band includes, among other things, 50 (European) to 60 hz (North American) AC as might be found in high tension power lines (the primary target), catenaries, electric blankets, the list goes on... To the best of my knowledge, no such study has demonstrated a valid statistical correlation between exposure to electromagnetic fields in this frequency range and any disease, never mind a valid causal relationship. (which is a very different thing, incidentally).

[Overmod]

Even shorter answer: If you're inside the train, the carbody will almost certainly act as a Faraday cage for powerline frequencies and their logical harmonics.

Don't worry. You can take the tinfoil and bent coathangers off your head now...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

Will Riding Electric Trains cause cancer?

Just the same as riding diesel locomotives will give you iron lung.

Or the old steam locos giving you mesothelioma because of the asbestos or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis because of the coal. Riding electric trains decades ago could probably increase your likelihood of developing cancer, but that's only because everyone, their brother & sister were "smoking cigarettes" and it was OK to do so in coach or any other section on the train.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Overmod



Don't worry. You can take the tinfoil and bent coathangers off your head now...

Its not so bad in the winter, but boy in the summer that foil heats ups your head like.. well....

I think you have a much greater chance of developing asthma or lung problems from the soot emitted from diesels locomotives or worse, buses, than from an electrical train wire. Go Electric!

[StillGrande]

I remember in a college physics class the professor talking about how he wanted to design a room with a big coil of wire and then get a lamp with a small coil and just walk around turning the light on and amazing his party guests.

I love when people are afraid of magnetic fields from electricity. They will next want to dig up the earth's magnetic core and get rid of it because, hello, magnetic field.

These stories are often people using little or no understanding of statistics and clusters to prove an agenda.

I remember in the late 80s there was a story in the Dallas Morning News whose headline read "Food Causes Cancer - Pesticides a Lessor Risk".

[Anonymous]

The quick and easy answer is no.

Erik

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mvlandsw

How about from riding those AC units with much higher currents and field strength?

Actually the currents are much lower than the dc engines. The DC engines traction motor cables are 500 mcm or about the size of a half dollar. The AC locomotives have cables about the diameter of a dime.
I was told that eating electric trains may cause cancer!
Randy

[ajmiller]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chessking

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

Will Riding Electric Trains cause cancer?

Just the same as riding diesel locomotives will give you iron lung.

Or the old steam locos giving you mesothelioma because of the asbestos or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis because of the coal. Riding electric trains decades ago could probably increase your likelihood of developing cancer, but that's only because everyone, their brother & sister were "smoking cigarettes" and it was OK to do so in coach or any other section on the train.

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

I typed this in to MS Word, and it changed the spelling to
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis

see also
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/p/pneumono.html

chessking, do you come from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch ?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

QUOTE: Originally posted by chessking



Or the old steam locos giving you mesothelioma because of the asbestos or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis because of the coal.

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

I typed this in to MS Word, and it changed the spelling to
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis

Chessking, using this word in context is amazing. Have you tried out for Jeopardy?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

QUOTE: Originally posted by chessking

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

Will Riding Electric Trains cause cancer?

Just the same as riding diesel locomotives will give you iron lung.

Or the old steam locos giving you mesothelioma because of the asbestos or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis because of the coal. Riding electric trains decades ago could probably increase your likelihood of developing cancer, but that's only because everyone, their brother & sister were "smoking cigarettes" and it was OK to do so in coach or any other section on the train.

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

I typed this in to MS Word, and it changed the spelling to
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis

see also
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/p/pneumono.html

chessking, do you come from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch ?

I had a friend back in high school that tried to work this word into a conversation just about everyday, it was pretty neat the first time, but after a while he just got annoying. [:p]

[Kozzie]

This is one of those threads doomed to go off topic...heh heh...

...that Welsh railway station name...does anyone know the Engli***ranslation?

Dave

[espeefoamer]

If riding electric trains under 11,000v or 25,000v causes cancer,what about light rail under 600v DC. If riding light rail causes cancer,I'm dead meat[xx(].

[ajmiller]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kozzie

This is one of those threads doomed to go off topic...heh heh...

...that Welsh railway station name...does anyone know the Engli***ranslation?

Dave

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates to

Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazal near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.

see http://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/

I just learned that there's a place in Thailand called Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnop- paratrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathit- sakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kozzie

This is one of those threads doomed to go off topic...heh heh...

...that Welsh railway station name...does anyone know the Engli***ranslation?

Dave

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates to

Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazal near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.

see http://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/

I just learned that there's a place in Thailand called Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnop- paratrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathit- sakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

Which roughly translates to:

The final resting place of American commuters that died of catenary induced cancer...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kozzie

This is one of those threads doomed to go off topic...heh heh...

...that Welsh railway station name...does anyone know the Engli***ranslation?

Dave

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates to

Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazal near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.

see http://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/

I just learned that there's a place in Thailand called Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnop- paratrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathit- sakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

I'm glad I was born in Delta. [:D]

[ajmiller]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kozzie

This is one of those threads doomed to go off topic...heh heh...

...that Welsh railway station name...does anyone know the Engli***ranslation?

Dave

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates to

Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazal near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.

see http://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/

I just learned that there's a place in Thailand called Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnop- paratrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathit- sakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

Which roughly translates to:

The final resting place of American commuters that died of catenary induced cancer...

could be, or maybe:
The final resting place of American commuters that died of catenary induced cancer by way of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

I don't really know. I tried to google the Thai place and I got:

"Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnop-paratrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathit-sakkattiyavisanukamprasit"... is too long a word. Try using a shorter word.

[AlcoRS11Nut]

QUOTE: Originally posted by arnstg

Sure hope you don't stand too close to your cellphone. Those microwaves will kill you!

Yeah, Right!

If that's true...I must be a 160 lb walking/talking tumor.

[Anonymous]

Personaly I think that there are mitgating factors to riding commuter rail and any form of public transit to any loss of days off your life due to cancer caused by electric current. One is walking to the commuter or light rail stop and running to work when the train is late. The aspects of socailization with other commuter evedenced in studies were primates did other things in a group of other primates led to longer life spans. And last but not least there is evidence that humans who use commuter train have a happy sex life due to a increase in the variety and number of partners.

[ajmiller]

I can't decide what exactly this means.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Clevelandrocks

The aspects of socailization with other commuter evedenced in studies were primates did other things in a group of other primates led to longer life spans.

Someone interpret, or draw a graph maybe.

QUOTE: And last but not least there is evidence that humans who use commuter train have a happy sex life due to a increase in the variety and number of partners.

Is there a study on this, or are you speaking from personal experience? Of course this kind of lifestyle may wind up shortening one's life as well.

[Overmod]

Let me take a stab at paraphrasing his points in English, or as close to that language as I can manage...

1) Exercise is good -- 15 minutes of walking being sufficient for health, and some running providing still more benefits.

2) When primates (e.g. monkeys) can interact socially in sufficient numbers, they may live longer (and have better health, show better behaviors, etc.) There are studies on other mammals (rats specifically coming to mind) that may show similar effects. (Note that an absence of stress or forced crowding is also important -- which would seem to indicate that *certain* kinds of commuter-rail experience are decidedly NOT good for health and longevity...)

3) John Cheever stories, perhaps? Certainly if someone's in the mood to pick up a 'sex partner', the train provides a richer and more diverse pool than the office, local bar, strip club et al...

The original "point" of the post, which is that "riding commuter rail" has benefits to health that may offset any harmful risks due to low-frequency EM fields, is reasonable. A little out of left field, perhaps, but not implausibly so.