Focusing of cosmic radiation by power lines?

In 1992 Anthony Hopwood introduced a hypothesis that electric and magnetic fields close to high voltage power lines might focus electrically charged particles in cosmic radiation so that people living close by would be exposed to higher doses of ionising radiation than if the power line was not present. This hypothesis has been tested using thermoluminescent dosemeters as detectors, which are free from electric noise artifacts that might influence Geiger-Mueller detectors. Detectors were placed on snow covered cultivated land at low altitude as well as on an ice covered lake in a mountain area to reduce background radiation from the ground. In neither case could a focusing effect be demonstrated. (author)