#AskFedi electric powerlines real risk
Does anyone have any expert evidence or studies against magnetic field non-ionizing radiation - e.g., large powerlines? My queries indicate no harm to living things has ever been found. This stuff seems to have got written into national & civic codes out of an abundance of caution 30 years ago (also following WHO guidelines which are still in place) but may be outdated and misplaced & utilities warnings for overhead lines may within reason be ignored.
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d.rift
in reply to Tarnport • • •Accepted publications at the national level (various) consistently cite low but non-nil leukemia correlation in practice but without a known mechanism. They also prevaricate inconsistently about what constitute safe levels, how the bounds are established, and whether measurements in practice meet them. Not covered: Potential impact of the damned humming noise, despite endless background noises especially at low frequency being a known stressor. I think I'd be more worried about a wire falling on the house.
arpansa.gov.au/understanding-rโฆ
cancer.org/cancer/risk-preventโฆ
niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/fiโฆ
Power Lines, Electrical Devices, and Extremely Low Frequency Radiation
www.cancer.orgTarnport
in reply to d.rift • • •d.rift
in reply to Tarnport • • •Tarnport
in reply to d.rift • • •Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to Tarnport • •@Tarnport
I work in the railway safety domain.
There are EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) standards very strict about how to manage equipment producing EMC variable fields. These standards are based on scientific evidence and have the goal of protecting human people from adverse effects of radiations. If we talk about non-ionizing radiation the only effect they can cause is heating our body, which is dangerous for our brain especially. In usual situations the exposure to such risk is negligible, nevertheless suppliers have to demonstrate that their system are fully compliant to above standards.
There's also the EMI problem (ElectroMagnetic Interference). This is about the impact your system can have on people having medical devices. As they're very sensitive to EMC fields usually you also have to put signals on places where such risk is not negligible.
Then there is the way we all do "risk assessment" in our life which is usually very far from being rigorous ๐
Risk is a combination of hazard likelihood and hazard severity. You cen have low likelihood but high severity that leads to high risk or high likelihood and low severity which also leads to high risk.
If you could rigorously estimate the risk you're exposed to in your life you'd be much more worried by that small, lovely, glass of wine (which is a class A carcinogenic) than a huge power line next to your home ๐
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HelloMstdn, Moritz Negwer, Virginicus, John E Bartley III (D) K7AAY๐ e Silk_Flame (she/her) ๐ท like this.
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Tarnport
in reply to Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น • • •Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to Tarnport • •@Tarnport
Anyway, whatever system you see, from a Over Head Catenary (the high voltage wire above a tramway or a train) to your hair dryer, they must have their EMC certification. As long as something is certified I think I'm safe.
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Hendi
in reply to Tarnport • • •Tarnport
in reply to Hendi • • •Virginicus
in reply to Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น • • •Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to Virginicus • •@Virginicus
What do you mean by "cow alignment"?
Virginicus
in reply to Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น • • •Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to Virginicus • •@Virginicus
I've read only the abstract.
It reads that some animals tend to align with the Earth magnetic field.
As a power line creates it's own electromagnetic field, this sum up with the Earth magnetic field.
It seems quite normal to me that if those animals align with a magnetic field, in an area where there are two magnetic fields summing up, the animals will align to the result of that sum.
They just align (for some unknown reason) with the magnetic field, whatever it is.
It's the same behaviour of the compass needle, it aligns with the magnetic field, whatever it is.
If there is only the Earth magnetic field the needle align with that, if there are more magnetic fields that sum up it align with the result of that sum.
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LionelB
in reply to Tarnport • • •I seem to remember that the rain that drips off the wires tends towards acidic, so it discolours grass beneath?
That and maybe a hum?
Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to LionelB • •@LionelB
I think the hum is a result of the corona discharge.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_dโฆ
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DragonBard
in reply to Tarnport • • •Largest self selected worldwide group exposed to nonionizing radiation at various levels are ham radio operators. Outside of being stupid and grabbing an antenna while transmitting at high power (which will cause RF burns), no other health effects noted.
There is higher cancer risk from contact with the materials used than from the electromagnetic fields.
Tarnport
in reply to DragonBard • • •Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to DragonBard • •@DragonBard @
I think cell phones antenna maintainers are the most exposed as those antennas transmit at a much higher power.
DragonBard
in reply to Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น • • •@max
Radar techs have the highest possible exposure. They are only to work on the antenna when everything is off. Otherwise they can be cooked.
John E Bartley III (D) K7AAY๐
in reply to Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น • • •Max - Poliverso ๐ช๐บ๐ฎ๐น
in reply to John E Bartley III (D) K7AAY๐ • •@John E Bartley III (D) K7AAY๐
Apparently, I wrote a nonsense.
I was sure ham radio power wasn't that high.
Thanks for letting me know.
NilaJones
in reply to Tarnport • • •Another factor to consider is history of landcare under the powerlines, such as herbicides to prevent shrub and tree growth if it is grassy, oil and fuel spills from machinery, etc
Some persist in the soil and are quite toxic to humans and pets
And PCBs from transformers โ ๏ธ
Fewer precautions may have been taken, if not open to the public
Tarnport
in reply to NilaJones • • •