Electromagnetic fields present an unusual challenge to the environmental health professional. People can be exposed to high levels of electromagnetic radiation through exposure to electrical appliances, power lines, and almost anything else using, producing or transmitting substantial amounts of electricity. Considered particularly problematic are high transmission power lines and electrical devices with sustained and close exposure to humans (such as cell phones and electric blankets).

Current research has not verified that exposure to this type of electromagnetic radiation has significant health impacts. Yet, many people are very concerned, and believe that the lack of measured risk is simply due to our inability to evaluate risk properly. The debate is expected to continue.

In Environmental Health, our discussion of electromagnetic fields is part of Industrial Hygiene (ENVH 302). It is considered along with other types of radiation and provides our students a good understanding of the issues and hazards related this class of physical hazards.

Listed below are resources that contain additional information about electromagnetic radiation.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a part of the Department of Labor, has provided on-line access to a review of the health effects data associated with extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic radiation exposure.

The World Health Organization (WHO) established the International EMF Project in 1996 to assess the scientific evidence of possible health effects of EMF in the frequency range from 0 to 300 GHz. Although acknowledging that little is known about health risks associated with exposure, WHO is participating in this work because of the large number of people exposed. If there is a risk – even if it is very small – then the large number of people exposed would result in a meaningful number of negative health outcomes.