The research showed that those who lived within 50 m radius of a power source had 106% of chances to develop cancer as compared to those who lived at least 300 meters away from a power source. This confirmed that there is a connection between exposure to power sources and cancer.
Is living near power lines bad and why?
What people don't understand is that living near power lines will expose them to the electrical and magnetic energy produced by these high-voltage wires. Long-term exposure can cause several health problems. Is Living near Power Lines Really Bad? A simple answer is YES.
Is living near power lines a health hazard?
Yes, it is potentially dangerous to live near a powerline. How dangerous depends largely on the type of powerline structure and how close you live. For example, one study showed that if you live within 50 meters of a 765-kilovolt line that it could increase occurrences of certain cancers.
Is living near power lines bad for our health?
What Are the Health Risks Living Near Power Lines? Supposedly, power lines behind houses, factories, or other office spaces where people may stay for long times are detrimental to their health. Chronic fatigue syndrome increased irritability, and a weakened immune system are just the beginning of the list of illnesses caused by dangerous radiation.
Do overhead power lines cause cancer?
“The evidence that power line electromagnetic fields can either cause cancer or promote its development is not at all inconclusive, as you have been led to believe by previous witnesses, but is very powerful…..a majority of the medical and scientific studies published in the peer reviewed medical literature show that children living in homes near high voltage or high current power lines, as well as workers exposed to power-frequency electromagnetic fields on the job, are developing ...
Do power lines give off radiation?
Power lines, household wiring, and any device that uses electricity can generate ELF radiation. Thus any electric device, from refrigerators and vacuum cleaners to televisions and computer monitors (when they are on) are sources of ELF radiation. Even electric blankets expose people to ELF radiation.
Are there risks living near power lines?
In conclusion, there are no known health risks that have been conclusively demonstrated to be caused by living near high-voltage power lines. But science is unable to prove a negative, including whether low-level EMFs are completely risk free.
What is the safest distance to live from power lines?
A safe working distance depends on the voltage of the power lines. Always maintain a distance of at least 10 feet from overhead lines and more than 10 feet if the voltage to ground is over 50 kilovolts (50,000 volts). The higher the voltage, the greater the distance that is needed between the lines and the workers.
Should I buy a house near power lines?
While it is inconclusive that staying near high tension towers can pose health risks, it is accepted worldwide that homes should be built at a safe distance from such power lines. Homebuyers tend to shun from buying such properties due to urban legends.
How close is too close to power lines?
The recommended distance from high voltage lines is 200 meters. Houses that are 200 meters or more from a high voltage power line usually have typical radiation levels that have insignificant effects on human beings. You can live within the 50 meters limit for low voltage lines and still be safe from harmful radiation.
Can living near power lines cause headaches?
Results (acc. to author) 10 participants reporting recurrent headache lived in houses in a distance of 60-80 m to the power line. Analysis revealed that people who are younger, live close to a power line and have more days off work are significantly more likely to suffer from headaches or migraines.
How much do power lines decrease property value?
“Proximity to power lines may lower a property's value from 10 to 40 percent, according to Gustan Cho Associates.
What are the effects of high tension power lines on humans?
Strong, artificial EMFs like those from power lines can scramble and interfere with your body's natural EMF, harming everything from your sleep cycles and stress levels to your immune response and DNA!
Are high voltage power lines bad for your health?
Your Home and Power Lines Additionally, there have been reports of complaints by people living near HVTLs of less serious health issues, such as migraines and fatigue.So far, however, research has not found a direct connection between the EMFs emitted by high-voltage lines and health risk in children or adults.
Do power lines reduce property value?
“Proximity to power lines may lower a property's value from 10 to 40 percent, according to Gustan Cho Associates.
Can living near power lines cause headaches?
Results (acc. to author) 10 participants reporting recurrent headache lived in houses in a distance of 60-80 m to the power line. Analysis revealed that people who are younger, live close to a power line and have more days off work are significantly more likely to suffer from headaches or migraines.
What are the effects of high tension power lines on humans?
Strong, artificial EMFs like those from power lines can scramble and interfere with your body's natural EMF, harming everything from your sleep cycles and stress levels to your immune response and DNA!
What are electric and magnetic fields?
Electric and magnetic fields are invisible areas of energy (also called radiation) that are produced by electricity, which is the movement of elect...
What are common sources of non-ionizing EMFs?
There are both natural and human-made sources of non-ionizing EMFs. The earth’s magnetic field, which causes the needle on a compass to point North...
Why are non-ionizing EMFs studied in relation to cancer?
Power lines and electrical appliances that emit non-ionizing EMFs are present everywhere in homes and workplaces. For example, wireless local netwo...
What have studies shown about possible associations between non-ionizing EMFs and cancer in children?
Numerous epidemiologic studies and comprehensive reviews of the scientific literature have evaluated possible associations between exposure to non-...
What have studies shown about possible associations between non-ionizing EMFs and cancer in adults?
Many studies have examined the association between non-ionizing EMF exposure and cancer in adults, of which few studies have reported evidence of i...
What do expert organizations conclude about the cancer risk from EMFs?
In 2002, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a component of the World Health Organization, appointed an expert Working Group to...
Where can people find additional information on EMFs?
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) website has information about EMFs and cancer. The Occupational Safety and Health...
What is the electromagnetic field that surrounds power lines?
Power lines are surrounded by an electromagnetic field (EMF) that stretches in all directions. The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes electromagnetic fields as “invisible areas of energy (also called radiation) that are produced by electricity”.
What is the leading factor for the increased need for energy?
Consumerism is said to be a leading factor for the increased need for energy. What is consumerism and how do popular media contribute to a culture of consumerism?
Why are magnetic fields more likely to penetrate the body than electric fields?
Magnetic fields are more likely to penetrate the body than electric fields. Electrical fields are weakened by obstacles like walls. Because of this, magnetic fields are the part of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that are often studied as a possible cause of cancer.
Do household appliances produce EMF?
Household and electronic appliances all produce EMF. Does this article make you feel more or less confident about the safety guidelines related to these devices? Why or why not?
Is there a need for electricity?
Our need for electricity is growing. So is the number of transmission towers and overhead electrical wires in the places we live. But what if spending time near the electrical and magnetic energy from high-voltage wires causes health problems? Thankfully, research indicates that it probably doesn’t. At least not in the case of childhood leukemia.
Does Heath Canada consider power lines a health risk?
Article from the Government of Canada that explains why Heath Canada does not consider nearness to power lines a health risk.
Is it bad to live near a power line?
Some people living near high-voltage power lines worry about possible health effects. One worry is that children could have a higher risk of getting cancer as a result of living near a power line.
Why do power lines produce magnetic fields?
Power lines produce magnetic fields continuously because current is always flowing through them. Electric fields are easily shielded or weakened by walls and other objects, whereas magnetic fields can pass through buildings, living things, and most other materials. Electric and magnetic fields together are referred to as electromagnetic fields, ...
What do expert organizations conclude about the cancer risk from EMFs?
The Working Group classified ELF-EMFs as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence from human studies in relation to childhood leukemia. Static electric and magnetic fields and extremely low frequency electric fields were determined “not classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans” ( 12 ).
Why are non-ionizing EMFs studied in relation to cancer?
Power lines and electrical appliances that emit non-ionizing EMFs are present everywhere in homes and workplaces. For example, wireless local networks are nearly always “on” and are increasingly commonplace in homes, schools, and many public places.
What have studies shown about possible associations between non-ionizing EMFs and cancer in children?
Numerous epidemiologic studies and comprehensive reviews of the scientific literature have evaluated possible associations between exposure to non-ionizing EMFs and risk of cancer in children ( 12 – 14 ). (Magnetic fields are the component of non-ionizing EMFs that are usually studied in relation to their possible health effects.) Most of the research has focused on leukemia and brain tumors, the two most common cancers in children. Studies have examined associations of these cancers with living near power lines, with magnetic fields in the home, and with exposure of parents to high levels of magnetic fields in the workplace. No consistent evidence for an association between any source of non-ionizing EMF and cancer has been found.
Where can people find additional information on EMFs?
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) website has information about EMFs and cancer.
What are the risks of ELF radiation?
Most of the results were based on participants’ job titles and not on actual measurements of their exposures. More recent studies, including some that considered exposure measurements as well as job titles, have generally not shown an increasing risk of leukemia, brain tumors, or female breast cancer with increasing exposure to magnetic fields at work ( 45 – 50 ).
Can non-ionizing EMFs cause cancer?
Although there is no known mechanism by which non-ionizing EMFs could damage DNA and cause cancer , even a small increase in risk would be of clinical importance given how widespread exposure to these fields is.
How far away from power lines is leukemia most likely to occur?
Draper found that living less than 200 meters from these power lines (in England and Wales) raised the risk of leukemia significantly compared to living at least 600 meters away. The scientific reaction to the Draper study immediate and highly critical.
Why do people worry about high voltage power lines?
People worry especially about high-voltage power lines, probably because they are carried by very large, highly visible structures that look vaguely threatening. This fear seems to have started with a 1979 study in which Nancy Wertheimer and Ed Leeper reported a correlation between high-voltage power lines and childhood leukemia in the area around Denver, Colorado. Wertheimer's results spurred numerous studies in the years since. A review of the evidence in 1995 pointed out that
Where did the fear of power lines start?
This fear seems to have started with a 1979 study in which Nancy Wertheimer and Ed Leeper reported a correlation between high-voltage power lines and childhood leukemia in the area around Denver, Colorado. Wertheimer's results spurred numerous studies in the years since.
Is there an association between the distance to the nearest high voltage power line and childhood leukemia?
In that study, Gerald Draper and colleagues claimed to find an association between the distance to the nearest high voltage power line and childhood leukemia.
Did Hepworth and Kheifets show a causal role for electromagnetic fields?
Hepworth and colleagues pointed out that the results did not support a causal role for electromagnetic fields (which were not measured), but at best a geographic correlation. Kheifets and colleagues demonstrated out that the effect disappeared when the control groups were analyzed differently.
Do electrical lines cause cancer?
So no, electrical power lines do not cause cancer. But they're still ugly. We should bury them all underground. I'm the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University. From 2005-2011 I was the Horvitz.
Can high voltage power lines cause cancer?
A review of the evidence in 1995 pointed out that. “There is no known mechanism by which magnetic fields of the type generated by high voltage power lines can play a role in cancer development. Nevertheless, epidemiologic research has rather consistently found associations between residential magnetic field exposure and cancer.”.
Why do people avoid power lines when selling real estate?
This is a common issue in selling real estate as people have a natural aversion to living close to high voltage power lines. Some of it may be because of how they look, but there’s likely also the intuitive feeling that it may not be so good to do so.
What does it mean when a power line is bigger?
Bigger and higher voltage power lines means you want to be further away. Plus, these high voltage power lines can make noise. Meanwhile, smaller lines aren’t going to have as much impact. More often than not, the devices in your house, and those you hold on your body, like cell phones, are going to have bigger impact.
What does it mean to be twice as far away from power lines?
In essence, that means that being twice as far from them means you’re only exposed to one fourth the field. What that means is that the further away you are from the power lines the less EMF radiation you’re exposed too.
How does EMF affect cancer?
One of the most recent and likely to be the main function by which EMF’s contribute to cancer and other negative health effects is through voltage-gated calcium channels activation in the cells.
Is a power line EMF?
But power lines are just one type of EMF producing technology, different from WIFI or your smart phone. So, let’s go deeper into the health risks living near power lines.
Is the world awash in EMF?
Our modern-day world is awash in EMF producing technology, power lines just being one example of that.
Is there a link between childhood leukaemia and proximity of home address at birth to high voltage power lines?
A study by Gerald Draper in 2005, published in BMJ, found “an association between childhood leukaemia and proximity of home address at birth to high voltage power lines, and the apparent risk extends to a greater distance than would have been expected from previous studies.” ( source)
How many years are you more likely to get cancer from a power line?
People who lived within 328 yards of a power line at any point up to age 15 years were three times more likely to develop cancer as an adult.
What percentage of cancers come from high voltage power lines?
Dr. David Carpenter, Dean of the School of Public Health (SUNY), believes that up to 30% of all childhood cancers come from exposure to high voltage power lines.
What are the effects of EMFs on the brain?
The California Department of Health concluded that EMFs were responsible for an increase in childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease and miscarriage in the 2002 report, “An Evaluation of the Possible Risks From Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs) From Power Lines, Internal Wiring, Electrical Occupations and Appliances.”
How far does a power line field extend?
Creates a strong field extending up to a 1/4 of a mile. The strength of this field decreases significantly with distance (the further away you are the better, even if you are still within a quarter mile) Health risk depends on strength of incoming power line.
Does burying power lines protect against EMF?
Other experts note that while burying power lines will shield the electric component of the electromagnetic field (EMF), the magnetic component can still pass through the earth—and walls and human or animal bodies.
Does living near power lines increase risk of lymphoma?
In a study of 850 lymphoma, leukemia and related conditions, researchers from the University of Tasmania and Britain's Bristol University found that living for a prolonged period near high-voltage power lines increased the risk for these conditions later in life.
Is living next to power lines dangerous?
Living Next To Power Lines Increases The Risk Of Cancer#N#After hundreds of international studies, the evidence linking EMFs to cancers and other health problems is loud and clear. High Voltage power lines are the most obvious and dangerous culprits, but the same EMFs exist in gradually decreasing levels all along the grid, from substations to transformers to homes.
Why is living near power lines good?
Because of the cheaper cost and less crowded neighborhoods, you’re also likely to get a much larger property size. Living near power lines can be an excellent way to get your dream home on a first home budget. It’s also a great idea for a starter home while you budget and save for something more expensive. 3.
What Are the Pros of Living Near Power Lines?
Living near power lines isn’t a very popular option, so for this reason, you’ll find less crowded neighborhoods. You’ll also find more bang for your buck when it comes to property prices.
Why is living near power lines less expensive?
This can mean that you’ll get the same or comparable home for less simply because it’s near power lines. Because of the cheaper cost and less crowded neighborhoods, you’re also likely to get a much larger property size.
Why does my power line make a hum?
If you’ve ever heard how quiet it is when the power is out, you know there’s a “hum” to electricity. When the field strength on the high voltage line conductor is greater than the surrounding air, it emits a noise. This isn’t a loud noise, but it could be enough to bother you if you love stone-cold silence.
Does living near power lines lower property value?
Articles have claimed that living near power lines can lower property values by 30%, but there isn’t supporting evidence. A recent study on the West Coast found an almost 300K home sold for an average of $5,000 less. A $500,000 house sold for $12,500 less on average when near power lines, just 2.5% lower.
Can power lines fall in a hurricane?
There’s always a chance of power lines falling or swaying in a storm, hurricane, or other wind disturbance. If you live beneath power lines, always be extra aware of lines that are low-hanging or touching the ground. Make sure to trim trees and branches that could come into contact with power lines and to take necessary precautions.
Is there a link between cancer and power lines?
While there’s no link between cancer and power lines, if you’re anxious, you might want to think twice before moving. Just the thought that something is bad for you can cause depression and more symptoms to pop up.