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Do Power Lines and Radio Transmitters Raise Children's Leukemia Risk? What an Instagram Post Gets Right and Wrong
An Instagram post says scientists discovered that children near power lines and radio transmitters have significantly higher leukemia risk. Some studies have seen a link at the highest exposures, but it is not a new discovery and the evidence is mixed.
Original commentary from the Cancer Explained editorial team.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
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An Instagram post from @bodywell_usa (October 4, 2026) says "scientists discover" that children living near power lines and radio transmitters have "significantly higher leukemia risk." It asks readers to comment "POWER" to learn how to "reduce your radiation absorption." The post uses hashtags such as #EMFprotection and #wirelessradiation. We could only read the caption. We could not see the text on the carousel slides.
What's real
Some studies have found a link. A 1979 study first suggested that children living near power lines had more leukemia. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says later pooled analyses found about a doubling of risk (nine studies) or about 1.7 times the risk (fifteen studies) at the highest magnetic field levels. Those levels affected fewer than 1% to about 3% of children.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classed these low-frequency magnetic fields in 2002 as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." That is based on limited evidence in people.
A South Korean study reported children within 2 km of an AM radio transmitter were about twice as likely to have a type of leukemia as children over 20 km away. We could not open the full report, so this comes from a news summary only.
What's missing or wrong
- It is not a new discovery. The post gives no study, author, journal or date. The idea has been studied for more than 40 years.
- "Significantly higher" overstates it. NCI says the number of highly exposed children was too small to give stable estimates. Seven studies from after 2000 found a smaller increase, about 1.4 times, and again only at high exposure.
- Other studies found no link. A large UK study (3,380 children with cancer and 3,390 comparison children) found no raised risk near power lines. A German study of 1,959 children with leukemia, near 16 AM and 8 FM/TV transmitters, found no significant link with radio and television transmitters. We read the German study through a news summary, not the original paper.
- "Radiation" is a loaded word. Power-line fields and radio waves are non-ionizing. NCI says this energy is too low to damage DNA.
- Association is not cause. Studies like these can be thrown off by chance or by other differences between families.
What the evidence says
NCI says expert groups reviewing all the research found no consistent evidence that these fields cause cancer. NCI also says evidence to date suggests cell phone radiofrequency energy does not cause cancer, including in children. IARC rated cell phone use "possibly carcinogenic" in 2011, with the warning that findings could reflect chance or bias. Our earlier articles cover living near power lines and 5G and Wi-Fi.
The honest summary is "possible, unproven, and small in absolute terms." Childhood leukemia is rare. Most children who get it have no known cause.
What to do with this
Be careful with posts that name a scary risk and then offer a fix after you comment. The "POWER" comment prompt looks like a way to collect leads for products or advice. We could not tell what is offered, and we did not test any product. You do not need special products to protect a child from a power line or a radio tower on the basis of this post.
If you are worried about your home, you can ask your local utility about measuring magnetic fields. For symptoms such as unusual bruising, ongoing fevers, bone pain or extreme tiredness in a child, call the child's doctor. A fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher in a child receiving cancer treatment means calling the care team right away. Call 911 in an emergency.
Sources
- Instagram post by @bodywell_usa: instagram.com
- National Cancer Institute, "Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer": cancer.gov
- National Cancer Institute, "Cell Phones and Cancer Risk": cancer.gov
- UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators, British Journal of Cancer (2000), power lines and childhood cancer: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Interference Technology, report on the German study of radio and TV transmitters (2008): interferencetechnology.com
- Radio World, report on the South Korean AM transmitter study (page would not open; cited from a search summary): radioworld.com
How this article was prepared
An AI-assisted editorial system helped prepare this page from NCI pages, a peer-reviewed UK study and news reports of two other studies. No named medical reviewer has reviewed it unless one is listed.
Cancer Explained is published by the National Cancer Information Foundation. It is not medical advice and does not suggest a test or treatment.
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Prevention, possible warning signs, screening, and diagnosis
This story relates to leukemia. The information below is general: it does not reveal anything else about a public person’s health, and not every point applies to every cancer. Personal advice depends on age, symptoms, family history, exposures, and medical history.
Prevention and risk reduction
Not every cancer can be prevented. Avoiding tobacco, protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation, limiting alcohol, staying active, and receiving recommended HPV or hepatitis B vaccination can lower the risk of certain cancers. A risk factor is not a prediction or a cause in one individual.
Symptoms and possible early signs
Possible signs vary and are often caused by conditions other than cancer. Changes worth discussing include a new lump, unexplained bleeding or weight loss, a persistent cough, lasting bowel or bladder changes, a changing skin spot, or symptoms that persist or worsen. Some early cancers cause no symptoms.
Screening and early detection
Screening looks for certain cancers before symptoms begin. Recommended tests exist only for some cancers and depend on age and risk. Screening can have benefits and harms; it is not the same as evaluating a new symptom, and there is no single routine scan or blood test that reliably screens for every cancer.
How cancer is diagnosed
Diagnosis may involve a history and exam, imaging, laboratory tests, and often a biopsy. Pathology can identify the cancer type and may test biomarkers that guide treatment. Symptoms, screening results, tumor markers, or online stories alone cannot confirm cancer.
Learn about this story’s cancer topic
A public story may encourage questions, but it should not be used to estimate your risk or choose testing. Contact a healthcare professional about a persistent or concerning change. Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.