In your city you more than likely have seen large powerlines that transfer electricity throughout the city. But as you pass by these powerlines everyday, have you ever stopped to wonder how much EMF radiation these powerlines produce? And how can you measure it?
How to Measure EMF Radiation from Power Lines
The two most common ways to measure EMF radiation from powerlines is: one, contact your local power company to schedule an on-site reading; and two, you can measure the EMF radiation yourself with the use of an EMF meter or Gauss Meter. These meters will tell you the strength of the EMF radiation being emitted as well as the direction from which it is coming from.
If you choose to do option two, I suggest getting close to the powerline with your EMF meter (as close as possible without putting yourself in danger that is) to see the level of EMF radiation being emitted right at the source.
Then, back away and see how much the EMF radiation decreases the further back you go. If you realize that the EMF radiation is still fairly strong near your home, consider getting EMF protective products to help shield you from the EMF radiation.
If you are looking for an EMF meter, then I recommend going with the Trifield 2, which you can view here on Amazon. This EMF meter is considered the industry standard and is what I use to measure EMF radiation around my home.
Can You get EMF Radiation from Power Lines?
Everything that runs on electricity creates EMF radiation, and power lines are no exception. As current moves through a power line, it creates a magnetic field called an electromagnetic field. The strength of the EMF is proportional to the amount of electrical current passing through the power line and decreases as you move further away.
Because of this property, the exposure to an electromagnetic field you would receive from a power line decreases with distance.
The amount of EMF radiation you can get from power lines has been a source of debate for many years. Long‐term adverse health effects such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases and reproductive disorders, have been thought to be linked to EMF radiation from power lines.
Because children may be more sensitive to EMF radiation, a large part of the research has focused on this group, especially on childhood cancers. In 1979 Dr. Nancy Wertheimer published a study of children living near high voltage power lines.
Dr. Wertheimer and her assistant Ed Leeper, claimed that children living near power lines in a Denver neighborhood experienced a two or three fold increase in deaths from leukemia.
In 2005 Gerald Draper, DPhil, director of the childhood cancer research group at Oxford University led a study which compared more than 29,000 children with cancer to age, sex, and birthplace-matched children without cancer. The children’s birth homes were located on the power grids of England and Wales.
Compared with children who lived more than 600 meters from a high-voltage power line, those who lived within 200 meters of the power lines had a 69% greater risk of leukemia. Those living 200 to 600 meters from power lines had a 23% higher risk of leukemia. (The findings appear in the June 4 issue of the British Medical Journal.)
However, because these observational studies are prone to several types of biases and biological evidence is lacking, uncertainty prevails, and after many years of research, there is still no clarity about a presumed causal relation.
Is it Dangerous to Live Near Power Lines?
The debate of whether there are adverse effects associated with living close to power lines has been a concern for decades beginning with by Dr. Wertheimer’s study. In 1995, the American Physical Society reviewed reports and literature on EMF exposure and concluded that there was no consistent, significant link between cancer and living near power lines.
However, in 1999, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) acknowledged that, because of the existence of “weak scientific evidence that exposure may pose a leukemia hazard,” it could not entirely rule out the possibility that EMF exposure caused health problems.
The debate of whether there are adverse effects associated with electromagnetic fields from living close to high-voltage power lines has raged for years. While research indicates that large risks are not present, the possibility of a relatively small risk cannot be conclusively excluded.
Although earlier studies did suggest associations between exposure and a variety of health effects including brain cancer, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive and developmental disorders, most of these associations have not been substantiated by more recent research.
Despite the fact that most studies do not consistently show adverse health effects of EMF exposure below the guideline limits, research has not been able to alleviate this concern. After all, lack of evidence does not mean absence of effect.
What is a Safe Distance to Live from Power Lines?
The actual EMF radiation emitted from power lines can vary greatly. The tall, metal, high voltage transmission lines usually emit the strongest magnetic fields. A safe distance of approximately 700 feet from these high voltage power lines may be needed to reduce the exposure levels to the recommended 0.5 (mG-milligauss) or less.
It may be more difficult to determine a safe distance from power distribution lines usually found on wooden poles. These transformers may sometimes have higher EMF’s because they carry electricity to an entire neighborhood.
Power lines that are underground may be just as strong or even stronger since these lines may be buried underground only a few feet from your home as opposed to 30 feet in the air.
In general, a magnetic field level of 0.5 mG will be reached somewhere between 10 and 200 feet from the wires. The safety distance from an EMF source is simply the measured distance needed to reduce human exposures down to some desired safety level for most cases.
The following safety distances below are based on Michael Neuert’s actual EMF measurements in the San Francisco Bay Area over a 20 year period.
The distances shown are thought to be far enough away for the majority of cases.
· High voltage power lines on metal towers- 700 feet
· Power distribution lines on wooden poles- 10-200 feet
· Electric utility transformer on pole or underground- 10-20 feet
Countries set their own national standards for exposure to electromagnetic fields. However, the majority of these national standards draw on the guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) which evaluates scientific results from all over the world.
(https://www.icnirp.org/cms/upload/publications/ICNIRPemfgdl.pdf)
(https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index4.html)
Individuals with heightened sensitivity to electromagnetic fields — or other serious existing health issues such as cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue or reproductive conerns— may wish to reduce their EMF exposures even further. For these kinds of health concerns, you may want to:
- Increase the distance between yourself and the source. The greater the distance between you and the source of EMF, the lower your exposure.
- Limit the time spent around the source. The less time you spend near EMF, the lower your exposure.
How do you Measure EMF Exposure at Home?
An EMF meter is a sophisticated and highly calibrated scientific device that quantifies and measures electromagnetic fields. Using an EMF meter is the best way to measure EMF radiation at your home.
Like I mentioned earlier, if you are looking for an EMF meter, then the Trifield model 2, which you can see here on Amazon, is one of the best meters out there. This is the meter that I use and I can recommend to anyone without hesitation.
Recommended Products and Conclusion
If you are concerned about your exposure to EMF radiation, then you have to check out these products below:
- Best EMF Meter: CLICK HERE
- EMF Protective Blanket for Babies and Adults: CLICK HERE
- EMF Protective Belly Band for Pregnant Women: CLICK HERE
- EMF Protected Cell Phone Pouches: CLICK HERE
- EMF Protected Laptop Case and Sleeve: CLICK HERE
- EMF Protective Clothing: CLICK HERE
In conclusion scientists continue to research the possible negative effects of living or working in close proximity to power lines. If you want to know how much EMF radiation the powerlines near your home are exposing you to then consider getting an EMF meter.
Thank you for stopping by. I wish you all nothing but health and happiness.
Sources
Kroll ME, Swanson J, Vincent TJ, Draper GJ. Childhood cancer and magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines in England and Wales: A case–control study. British Journal of Cancer 2010; 103(7):1122-1127.
Wertheimer N, Leeper E. Electrical wiring configurations and childhood cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology 1979; 109(3):273-284.
https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index4.html
https://emfinfo.org/guidelines-distance.html
https://www.webmd.com/cancer/lymphoma/news/20050602/child-leukemia-again-linked-to-power-lines#1