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.

This study investigated Extremely Low Frequency-Magnetic Fields (ELF-MF) exposure levels among housewives for a 24-Hour activity pattern to identify related factors for the exposures. To achieve the objective of the study, we surveyed ELF-MF levels using EMDEX II in a living environment from January to December 2016. We also made subjects write a Daily Activity Pattern in order to identify durations for staying and related information in the environment of exposures. Subjects showed that they spent the longest time in sleep and at home, at 487.5 minutes (KOSIS: 479.0 minutes) and 472.1 minutes (KOSIS: 428.0 minutes), respectively. Furthermore, the 24- hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 54 housewives was 1.24 ± 3.48 mG (GM: 0.52 mG). The ELF-MF exposure levels for all Multiuse Facilities were far below the recommended standards of EMF Guideline Korea and ICNIRP. Thus, these results will provide useful data for the determination of ELF-MF management and reduction methods in living environments.

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.

The objective of this study was to investigate ELF-MF exposure levels in infant living environmental spaces at daycare centers. To achieve the objective of the study, we surveyed ELF-MF levels using EMDEX II at daycare centers from October 2013 to October 2014. The ELF-MF level of 53 daycare centers in terms of arithmetic mean (AM) and geometric mean (GM) were 0.59 ± 0.76 mG and 0.33 mG, respectively. And the ELF-MF level of 260 daycare center classrooms was 0.50 ± 0.71 mG (GM: 0.28 mG). The exposure levels of ELF-MF for all daycare centers were far below the recommended standards cited in guidelines in Korea (833 mG) and international reference levels proposed by WHO or ICNIRP (2,000 mG). Furthermore, we discovered out that as distance increased, ELF-MF emission levels decreased significantly in all electrical instruments. Below the 2 mG ELF-MF levels when an electrical instrument moved away stage 1 (Grade). Thus, these results will provide useful data for the determination of ELF-MF management and reduction methods at infant daycare centers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of ELF-MF emissions from underground cable lines near daycare centers in the metropolitan city of Seoul. We investigated 143 daycare centers from June to September of 2015. In addition, the rate of reduction of ELF-MF levels according to the distance from the line was calculated using simulations. The ELF-MF emission level of 143 daycare centers at boundary point was 1.37 ± 1.75 mG (GM: 0.75 mG) and at direct point was 11.14 ± 17.99 mG (GM:6.05 mG). ELF-MF levels at direct point were 8.13 (arithmetic mean) and 8.06 (geometric mean) times higher, respectively, than that at the boundary point. By analyzing the relationship between ELF-MF and electricity current (A) and operating depth (m), a significant correlation was found between ELF-MF and current (A) and depth (m), at 0.360 (p<0.01) and -0.303 (p<0.05), respectively. The results of the simulation showed that appropriate separation distances showing below 4 mG was 8m and 14m, adjusted mean current (A) and maximum current (A), respectively. The results of the study suggest that a plan should be implemented for the management of ELF-MF in High voltage power-line and Underground cable line areas, through a broad and detailed survey and risk communication.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) exposure on the health of elementary school students. A total of 103 students 12~13 years old were chosen for the study. The experimental group consisted of 56 students who went to school near an overhead powerline. The ELF exposure and environmental hazard factors were evaluated during a 24-hour exposure period. The body and dwelling characteristics of the students as well as disease occurrence related to the respiratory system and allergies were investigated through a questionnaire. The brain wave and electrocardiogram were also inspected. The exposure of the group exposed while at a school located near a powerline was 6.8 mG (p<0.01). Based on the questionnaire results, neither the body or dwelling characteristics of the two groups were affected by the ELF emitted from powerline. There was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to the rate of occurrence of respiratory diseases such as wheezing, asthma and bronchitis. Although brain waves of the group exposed to ELF were lower than that of the group not exposed to it in terms of absolute power of gamma and beta, there is no significant difference between the health status of the two groups. According to our study, school students who lived near a power line were exposed to higher ELF levels than those away from a power line. The two groups have significant differences inBrain wave and ECG, but this change doesn't mean there is a difference in health status. Finally, our study has a limitation in terms of the number of study subjects and the restricted area examined.

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.

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.