From: Magda Havas
Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2009 1:02 PM
Subject: Important paper by Vignati and Giuliani
This paper documents radio frequencies flowing along power lines, something we are concerned about for a variety of reasons including the move to broadband over power lines (BPL). The RF can radiate from the wires inside buildings and thus expose occupants to RFR and not just ELF. The frequencies measured in this paper are in the kHz range.
While these frequencies may be placed on the wire deliberately, they may also occur because of improper filtering at the source of origin.
A few years ago, Dave Stetzer and I were invite to Bermuda to teach some people on the island how to measure dirty electricity, RFR, ground current, and ELF EMFs. While we were there, Dave was sitting on a chair near a bronze lamp in my room at the guest house, where we were staying, and he began to feel ill. Dave has become sensitive to EM radiation.
We began to measure the source of exposure and found that it was coming from an antenna several km away. However, he felt worse near the lamp. We measured the radiation in the room and found that it was coming in on the electrical wires in the wall and flowing along the wire to the nearby lamp. When we unplugged the lamp Dave felt slightly better. Dave took out his scopemeter and measured 104 MHz, which is an FM radio station. Presumably the radio station didn't have appropriate filters to isolate the RF from the electrical wires.
Some of the RF we are exposed to inside buildings is coming through the air but some of it is radiating from electrical wires as Vignati and Giuliani document below. This complicates our exposure and hence our understanding of which frequencies are biologically active in epidemiological studies of both occupational and residential exposure. The move to BPL will increase our exposure to these frequencies and a lot more people are likely to become ill as a results.
-magda
p.s. I am attaching a copy of the paper but recognize that the CHE EMF list will remove it because they do not accept attachments. However, those of you who I have copied will be able to read it.
Vignati, M. and L. Giuliani, 1997. Radiofrequency exposure near high-voltage lines. Environ Health Perspect
105(Suppl 6):1569-1573 (1997).
Abstract
Many epidemiologic studies suggest a relationship between
incidence of diseases like cancer and leukemia and exposure to 50/60 Hz magnetic fields. Some studies suggest a relationship between leukemia incidence in populations residing near high-voltage lines and the distance to these lines. Other epidemiologic studies suggest a relationship between leukemia incidence and exposure to 50/60 Hz magnetic fields (measured or estimated) and distance from the main system (220 or 120 V). The present work does not question these results but is intended to draw attention to a possible concurrent cause that might also increase the incidence of this disease; the presence on an electric grid of radiofrequency currents used for communications and remote control. These currents have been detected on high- and medium-voltage lines. In some cases they are even used on the main system for remote reading of electric meters. This implies that radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields are present near the electric network in addition to the 50/60 Hz fields. The intensity of these RF fields is low but the intensity of currents induced in the human body by exposure to magnetic
fields increases with frequency. Because scientific research has not yet clarified whether the risk is related to the value of magnetic induction or to the currents this kind of exposure
produces in the human body, it is reasonable to suggest that the presence of the RF magnetic fields must be considered in the context of epidemiologic studies.
-magda
________________________________________________
Dr. Magda Havas, B.Sc. Ph.D.
Environmental & Resource Studies,
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
phone: 705 748-1011 x 7882 fax: 705 748-1569
________________________________________________
Important research (Ozen 2007, see abstract below) compares induced currents generated within the body of adults and children at power line frequency (50 Hz) and by transients up to 100 kHz (dirty electricity). It provides support for the biological importance of transients and complements the work that Sam Milham and Lloyd Morgan have done on the cancer cluster in the La Quinta Middle School (California) and the work that we've done regarding dirty electricity and its effects on diabetics, MS, and both students and teachers in schools.
The calculated induced current is greatest when the external magnetic field is perpendicular to the front of the body. It is lower in children than adults (see below); and it increases with frequency (for the same magnetic flux density) (see below taken from Table 4).
In Table 4, the calculated induced current density in body models for a 1 micro Tesla external magnetic field (perpendicular to front of body) at various frequencies is as follows. Induced current density (Jmax) is in microAmps/square meter.
average man:
1. 50 Hz - ~6 Jmax
2. 100 Hz - ~ 18
3. 10 kHz - ~ 2,400
4. 100 kHz - ~35,900
five-year old child:
1. 50 Hz - ~3.6 Jmax
2. 100 Hz - ~ 11
3. 10 kHz - ~ 1,400
4. 100 kHz - ~21,600
Induced current is critical from a biological perspective. Stetzer, Hillman and Graham have been documenting the adverse effects of ground current and Kavet has published on the importance of contact current. Now we have additional information on induced current without direct contact. This is exactly what people are exposed to who have dirty electricity in their home/school/workplace.
This study shows that in addition to microwave frequencies and ELF we need to look at these intermediate frequencies because we generate them with our technology; because they permeate our environment and our body; and because they have been shown to be biologically active.
-magda
p.s. For those of you who would like to contact the author, his email address is: sukruozen@akdeniz.edu.tr
Ozen, S. 2007. LOW-FREQUENCY TRANSIENT ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS COUPLING TO CHILD BODY, Radiation Protection Dosimetry (2007), pp. 1–6.
S. Ozen*
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey
Much of the research related to residential electric and magnetic field exposure focuses on cancer risk for children. But until now only little knowledge about coupling of external transient electric and magnetic fields with the child's body at low frequency transients existed. In this study, current densities, in the frequency range from 50 Hz up to 100 kHz, induced by external electric and magnetic fields to child and adult human body, were investigated, as in residential areas, electric and magnetic fields become denser in this frequency band. For the calculations of induced fields and current density, the ellipsoidal body models are used. Current density induced by the external magnetic field (1 mT) and external electric field (1 V/m) is estimated. The results of this study show that the transient electric and magnetic fields would induce higher current density in the child body than power frequency fields with similar field strength.
