The purpose of this study is to investigate the ELF-MF emissions from UCLs and to compare the ELF-MF emission levels of HVTLs and UCLs. In addition, this study proposes a method and management plan to investigate the effects of exposure to ELF-MF emissions from UCLs. The ELF-MF emissions from the 154 kV UCL were 15.4±24.4 (GM: 7.8)mG, while from the 345 kV line they were 6.0±2.4 (GM: 5.7)mG. Through the comparison between ELF-MF emissions of 154 kV UCL and HVTL, at about 20 m distance from an overhead line the emissions level is 4 mG, while from an underground line at about 10 m distance the emission level was recorded as less than 4 mG. Through comparing the ELF-MF emission amount of the UCL according to the burial method, it was found that the direct ELF-MF emission levels are 15.3±7.4 (GM: 13.9)mG at the direct point, in the conduit type 21.0±30.4 (GM: 10.8)mG, and in the buried form 8.5±12.3 (GM:5.1)mG. In this study, ELF-MF emissions were about 37.0% and 47.5% lower, respectively, compared with the direct power and conduit type. The correlation between ELF-MF emission (mG) and power load (A) was analyzed. The higher the power load, the higher the ELF-MF emission. The correlation between ELF-MF emission at the direct point and depth of the UCL was also analyzed, and it was found that as the depth of line burial increased, ELF-MF emissions decreased.

The objective of this study was to investigate ELF-MF exposure levels of the elderly groups in their living environments using 24-hour personal measurement. In addition, EMF risk perception was investigated. Through evaluations of ELF-MF exposure levels in the proximity of the participants of 58 elderly groups, it was found that TWAam was 1.31 mG (TWAgm: 0.84). ELF-MF exposure levels of the elderly group that live in the proximity of a non-visible power line was high, but there were no statistically significant differences between the non-visible power line elderly group and visible power line elderly group. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences in ELF-MF exposure according to gender, age, city classification, incomes, residence type, and size. The results showed that the perception of the ELF-MF was very low, as indicated by more than roughly 58.6% of the elderly surveyed saying that they did not know what ELF-MF was. In addition, there was no awareness among the group of how to avoid behavior of EMF from some electric equipment and facilities. Thus, these results will provide useful data for the determination of ELF-MF management and risk communication methods in the living environment for elderly people.

In this study, ELF-MF levels of subway trains were measured to understand the status of the intensity of ELFMF. The measurement points for the train are selected in the center of each train compartment(pantagraph compartment, motor-driven compartment and the compartment that is not connected to any other electric equipment) using EMDEX II. ELF-MF levels of trains were measured from the starting to the terminal station in each lines(Seoul line 1-9, Incheon line 1, Incheon international airport line, Gyungui line, Bundang line, Gyeongchun line, Joongang line, Suin line). We found that the mean and range of ELF-MF levels in the DC power subway train are 2.4 and 0.1~125.9 mG, respectively, while the mean and range of ELF-MF levels in the AC power subway train are 10.4and 0.0~156.3 mG, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum ELF-MF level(156.3 mG) was lower than the reference level(ICNIRP 833 mG, 60Hz). The findings of this study in relation to the characteristics of ELF-MF for subway will be useful to derive the ELF-MF exposure coefficient from our living environment in a subsequent study.

전기기기의 사용이 증가함에 따라 60Hz 전력선에서 발생되는 전자기장의 인체영향에 관한 관심이 고조되고 있다. 그와 더불어 60Hz 자기장에 의해 두통, 불면증 등 정신 신경 생리학적 증상을 호소하는 사람들이 증가하고 있다. 그러나 이러한 증상이 자기장 노출에 의한 것인지 심리적 요인 때문인지에 대하여 확실한 원인규명이 되어 있지 않다. 따라서 본 연구는 자기장 노출 시 생리학적 변화(심박수, 호흡수, 심박변이도, 뇌파의 알파, 베타파), 자각증상, 자기장 인지 여부를 동시에 측정하여 복합적으로 자각 증상 원인을 분석하는 연구를 수행하였다. 60Hz 12.5uT의 자기장을 일반인 군(16명)과 EHS 군(15명)을 대상으로 실제 노출 및 가상 노출을 하였다. 그 결과 알반인 군과 EHS 군 모두 60Hz 자기장 노출여부에 따른 생리학적 변화나 자각증상의 차이가 없었다. 또한 자기장 인지 정확도에서도 EHS 군이 일반인 군보다 인지를 잘한다고 볼 수 없었다. 그러므로 EHS 유발요인은 60Hz 자기장이 아니라 다른 심리적, 환경적 요인에 의한 것으로 사료된다.

The objective of this study was to evaluate Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields (ELF-MFs) exposure level of housewives and the relation of residential environments with ELF-MFs exposure level in home. ELF-MFs measurements were performed for 58 housewives include 31 working women. Twenty-four hours personal MF exposure levels of housewives were slightly higher than working women as an arithmetic mean. However the median of 24 hours personal exposure levels for working women were significantly higher than housewives (p<0.05). The median of personal exposure levels due to the activity at home, working women were higher than housewives significantly (p<0.05). As a results of correlation of residential environments, such as their living environments, total income, type of water supply pipes, and distance from power line with ELF-MFs exposure level in home was different from the type of residence (p<0.05). This study could be informed as guidance for ELF-MFs exposure analysis in residential environment.

In this paper, exposure levels of electromagnetic field were measured in residential environments and from appliances. First, the measurements of residential environments were taken in central locations in bedroom, living room, and kitchen in each home. Both arithmetic and geometric mean of normal-power condition are higher than low-power condition (all electrical devices turned off/unplugged), and the background fields in homes show a geometric mean of about 0.022 uT. Second, we measured broadband magnetic fields of domestic appliances at various distances. The highest magnetic field is 44.3 uT from the microwave oven, and the lowest is 1.4 uT from the Kimchi Refrigerator. The magnitude of magnetic fields from appliances dropped off at a rate inversely proportional to distance, but the ratio of drop-off on Korean appliances is lower than US and UK

The present study investigated the hypothesis that a extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) partially suppresses the synthesis of human growth hormone (HGH) in a group of 28 primary schoolchildren living nearby and 60 primary schoolchildren aged 12 years living far away from overhead transmission power lines from December 2003 to April 2004 in Seoul, Korea. The mean personal exposure levels of the primary schoolchildren living nearby overhead transmission power line were 0.37 μT, whereas the levels for the primary schoolchildren living away from overhead transmission power line was 0.05 μT. From simple analyses, the mean growth hormone levels in the primary schoolchildren living nearby were lower than away from overhead transmission power line, and statistically significant differences in the levels of the growth hormone (p = 0.0316), whereas not statistically significant differences in the levels of the growth hormone related to the distance from residence to power line less and more than 100 m by cut-off point (p = 0.4017). In conclusion, these results may indicate that urinary levels of nocturnal growth hormone are altered in primary schoolchildren exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic field at overhead transmission power line.