Can Hybrids Pose Health Risk?

As hybrids become increasingly popular in a world on the brink of finding out the true limits of petroleum, there has yet to be any significant calculation of a health risk posed by hybrids. As with any electronic device — from cell phones to microwaves — the electric motor and other components of a hybrid car produce electromagnetic fields. Exposure to large doses of such fields for long durations has been linked to severe health concerns, like leukemia in children.

The problem is there hasn’t been a true attempt to quantify the kind of exposure a driver or passenger has when sitting in a hybrid. Electromagnetic fields exist everywhere, but concerned scientists are wondering if prolonged exposure to those generated by hybrid motors can have an especially detrimental effect. Agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute have linked EMFs to health problems based on studies done on cancer patients living next to high-voltage utility lines. There is no federal standard for acceptable exposure levels.

Furthermore, there is no scientific consensus on what constitutes an acceptable level of exposure. The two largest hybrid-car makers, Toyota and Honda, say their internal checks of EMFs don’t suggest they pose any risk whatsoever.

There isn’t enough known about either hybrids or EMFs to jump to conclusions about EMF danger, which wouldn’t help anything anyway. It’s simply an issue that deserves further study by disinterested parties.

Fear, but Few Facts, on Hybrid Risk (The New York Times)