Why Fry?

Objective To examine mortality from suicide in relation to estimated exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields in a cohort of138,905 male electric utility workers.

Conclusions These data provide evidence for an association between occupational electromagnetic fields and suicide that warrants further evaluation. A plausible mechanism related to melatonin and depression provides a direction for additional laboratory research and epidemiologic evaluation.

The change in the nature of depression with age suggests that people at a younger age may be more vulnerable to the effects of exposure to EMFs, resulting in depressive disorders and suicide.

The results of this study provide evidence for an association between cumulative exposure of extremely low-frequency EMFs and suicide, especially among younger workers. We hypothesize that an increased vulnerability at younger ages may be based on a change in the nature of depression with age, with suicide more closely linked to depression among younger workers and physical impairments among older workers.