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The university is leading an aggressive investigation into the number of breast cancer cases among current and former occupants of the Literature Building in Earl Warren College.
See answers to frequently asked questions about the Literature Building study:
Exposure and concern
Study and report
Risks and reducing exposure
Q: What is UC San Diego doing to investigate suggestions that there may be an unhealthy source of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) in the Literature Building?
A: The university is deeply concerned about the health and safety of the people who work in the Literature Building as well as the faculty, staff, and students who work in other buildings and work spaces across the campus. Chancellor Fox has directed UCSD’s office of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) to lead an aggressive investigation of the Literature Building. Dr. Garland’s report noted the presence of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the Literature Building. The university has hired a world expert on EMF to assess the level of EMF in the Literature building and its possible health effects.
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Q: Have the sources of EMF in the Literature Building been found and addressed while the university conducts a more definitive study?
A: Dr. Garland’s review identified suspected EMF sources in a small area of the Literature Building. This area is near the elevators and related equipment rooms. The source of the concern has been temporarily eliminated with both elevators being shut down to normal service, and the Literature Department also has vacated several offices adjacent to these sources of EMF. These offices will remain unoccupied while a definitive study is conducted. In the meantime, it is important to keep in mind that Dr. Garland’s report stated that exposure to EMF "is unlikely to be a principal cause of breast cancer that has been diagnosed in people who have worked in this small area."
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Q: Has the Chancellor and/ or other members of the university leadership met with the faculty and staff in the Literature Building to hear their concerns?
A: The Chancellor and Senior Vice Chancellor Paul Drake have been in close contact with the Chair of the Department of Literature and the Dean of Arts and Humanities. In addition, the Chancellor and Senior Vice Chancellor have met with concerned faculty and staff, and in January held an open meeting in the Literature Building with building occupants to discuss their concerns. The university has hired Dr. Leeka Kheifets, a world expert on electromagnetic fields (EMFs) who formerly led the World Health Organization’s International EMF Project, who began her comprehensive investigation on February 10, 2009. Dr. Kheifets began her investigation by meeting with occupants of the Literature Building to hear their concerns. Her review will take approximately 6-8 weeks.
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Q: Does the university believe that exposure to EMF is causing these cases of breast cancer in the Literature Building?
A: To find the most educated and informed answer to these questions, Chancellor Fox hired a world expert on EMF to assess the potential health effects in the Literature Building. The Chancellor has a moral and ethical obligation as UC San Diego’s Chancellor to maintain a safe and healthy work environment, and has a fiduciary responsibility to the State of California and the Regents of the University of California to maintain the safety of and provide a hazard free working environment of property owned by the State.
That being said, Dr. Garland noted in his report that the EMF he observed “is not prohibited by any known U.S. national exposure standard” and that "[t]his exposure is unlikely to be a principal cause of breast cancer that has been diagnosed in people who have worked in this small area."
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Q: Has the university made information available to building occupants?
A: To increase access to this information, the university has launched a Web site collecting the critical documents generated to date: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/EHS-LIT.
The primary concern of the university is the health and safety of the people who work in the Literature Building and across the university as a whole. The Chancellor has directed that the results of all reports regarding the Literature Building be made available to the Chair of the Literature Department so that he can distribute them to the building’s occupants.
In addition, David Brenner, Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine, has offered to be contacted by staff and faculty in the building who have concerns about their health and the
building environment. Dr. Brenner will be happy to triage those interested in a consultation to the appropriate physician specialist. You can reach Dr. Brenner at (858) 534-1501 or dbrenner@ucsd.edu.
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Q: Why and how did the university decide to hire Dr. Kheifets?
A: Chancellor Fox directed university administrators to get to the bottom of this situation as expeditiously as possible. The university turned to the World Health Organization (WHO) for a recommendation for an expert on the potential health effects of EMF. The WHO recommended Dr. Leeka Kheifets. Dr. Kheifets is currently a Professor in Residence in Epidemiology at UCLA, and formerly led the World Health Organization’s International EMF Project. Before being retained, Dr. Kheifets was interviewed by the director of Environment, Health & Safety, with a member of the faculty of the Department of Literature present.
Based on that interview and the WHO’s recommendation, Chancellor Fox charged Dr. Kheifets to perform an in-depth investigation into the potential health effects of EMF in the Literature Building.
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Q: Will UCSD release the findings of Dr. Kheifets' study when it’s completed?
A: Yes. In addition, Chancellor Fox has requested Dr. Kheifets hold a public meeting with the occupants of the Literature Building to go over her report when it is completed. To increase access to all information, the university has launched a Web site collecting the critical documents generated to date: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/EHS-LIT.
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Q: Will UCSD release the Garland report?
A: This report was released months ago. In addition, Dr. Garland appeared at a public meeting to discuss his findings. To make the report and all other information more accessible, the university has launched a Web site collecting the critical documents generated to date: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/EHS-LIT.
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Q: Since the Garland report said that the observed incidence of invasive breast cancer in the Literature Building was about 4-5 times the expected incidence in the California general population, is there any doubt that something in the building is responsible for the cancer cases among its occupants?
A: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among females in the United States. In addition to genetic factors, research studies have identified a variety of other risk factors that elevate a woman’s chances of developing this disease. We do not know how many of these additional risk factors were present in the reported cases of breast cancer because we do not have access to their private medical files. The university is focused on the information that will be garnered from this comprehensive report from Dr. Kheifets' investigation.
That being said, Dr. Garland qualified the uncertain conclusion of his preliminary study by emphasizing that the EMF he observed "is not prohibited by any known U.S. national exposure standard" and that "[t]his exposure is unlikely to be a principal cause of breast cancer that has been diagnosed in people who have worked in this small area."
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Q: How can any woman determine her relative risk of developing breast cancer?
A: About 2.5 percent of all California women 50 years old will develop breast cancer during the next 10 years of their lives. Below are 3 Web-based sources of information about breast cancer:
- The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, National Cancer Institute (NCI): This interactive tool was designed by scientists at the NCI and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project to estimate a woman's risk of developing invasive breast cancer. The tool has been updated for African American women based on the Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences Study. This tool was designed for use by health professionals; therefore, you are encouraged to discuss your personal risk of breast cancer with your doctor.
- United States Cancer Statistics, CDC: Official federal statistics on cancer incidence from registries that have high-quality data and cancer mortality statistics for each year and 2002–2004 combined.
- Decline in Breast Cancer Incidence — United States, 1999–2003, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC: This online report describes stabilization in female breast cancer incidence rates during 2001-2003, ending increases that began in the 1980s.
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Q: Does the Literature Building elevator emit EMF?
A: All appliances that run on electricity emit EMF (e.g., toasters, lights, microwave ovens, blow dryers, etc). The 2 elevators identified by Dr. Garland as the source of potentially high EMF have been shut down for normal service and the Literature Department has vacated several offices adjacent to the elevator equipment room. These offices will remain unoccupied while a definitive study of this matter is conducted.
The United States has national safety standards on what amounts of EMF exposures are considered safe. All of the EMF measurements taken in the Literature Building are well within those safety standards.
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Q: Are the current occupants of the Literature Building working in a safe environment?
A: No scientist has suggested that the overall Literature Building is causing health concerns. A small area is what is in question regarding EMF. The small area of concern has been temporarily eliminated with the 2 elevators identified by Dr. Garland as the source of potentially high EMF being shut down for normal service and the Literature Department vacating several offices adjacent to an elevator equipment room.
The Garland report states that, in general, carcinogenic exposures appeared to be no greater, by traditional definitions of such exposures, than those normally encountered while working on a modern research university campus. Regarding the elevator equipment on the first floor of the building, Dr. Garland’s study noted that it is a source of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), but stated that exposure to EMF "is unlikely to be a principal cause of breast cancer that has been diagnosed in people who have worked in this small area."
Back to top Q: What will UCSD do to reduce the level of EMF in the Literature Building?
A: The university will use the results and recommendations of the Kheifets study to guide its actions regarding future steps to be taken in the Literature Building. To allay concerns in the interim, the university has taken preliminary measures to protect the health and safety of the occupants of the Literature Building. These interim measures include:
- Two elevators have been shut down to normal service that have been suspected sources of electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
- The areas identified by Dr. Garland as being potentially at risk of exposure to EMF were vacated.
- Older motor starting devices in the elevators have been replaced with newer solid-state soft starts that reduce current surge from motor startups, which in turn reduce EMF.
- Older magnetic fluorescent light ballasts have been replaced with solid state equipment to reduce EMF.
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Questions? Contact Steve Benedict, Director, Environment, Health & Safety and Risk Management, (858) 534-3660.
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