Health effects of extremely low-frequency (50 and 60 Hz) electric and magnetic fields

• Published in: IEEE transactions on industry applications Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 447 - 458
• Main Author: Zipse, D.W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.03.1993; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: 560400 - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Conductors; CURRENTS; Effects of various physical factors on living matter (vibrations, electric field, ultrasound, sound...); ELECTRIC CURRENTS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; Employment; EPIDEMIOLOGY; FREQUENCY RANGE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; Home appliances; Humans; HZ RANGE; Industry Applications Society; MAGNETIC FIELDS; RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT; RADIATIONS; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Transformers; Voltage; Wiring; Human; Non ionizing radiation; Ionizing radiation; Electric field; Extremely low frequency; Biological effect; Magnetic field; Epidemiology; Public health
• ISSN: 0093-9994; 1939-9367
• DOI: 10.1109/28.216556

The author provides assistance to the scientific and technical community in putting the subject into perspective while the furor in the media over health effects of low-frequency fields abates. The voltages and currents generated within the human body are detailed. The values of directly applied voltages and currents that occur when a person comes into contact with energized conductors, which are hazardous to humans, are compared with the nonhazardous induced voltages and currents. An overview of the animal, cell, and human research and the epidemiological studies is presented. The positions taken by the various concerned groups are indicated. The existing standards and values that have been developed by consensus groups are presented. Continuation of research is advocated.< >