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.

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.

This case study carried out to improve the situation of large gap between scientific evidence and public perception on Extremely Low Frequency-Electric and Magnetic Fields (ELF-EMFs) problems in Korea. According to literature review on techniques and applications for EMF risk communication (RC) in Korea and other countries, the program which is appropriate for Korean society for RC was developed and the questionnaire to survey on perceptional level on ELF-EMFs based on this program was also developed. As some results of survey the perceptional levels on ELF-EMFs problems from some primary-school students and adults according to the educational tools (a presentation, a brochure, and a VOD) and protocols which were developed for RC, we identified in this study that the educational programs for RC have some effects to supply the right information and to improve the perceptional level on ELF-EMF problems to the general population such as the primary-school students and adults in Korea.

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.