Calculated Residential Exposure to 50 Hz Magnetic Fields from Overhead
Power Lines in a French Epidemiological Study
(2013)Abstract
An epidemiological study of childhood leukaemia in relation with various environmental factors is
currently being carried out in France. One of the investigated factors is the proximity of children
residence to high voltage overhead lines (63 to 400 kV), in relation with the residential exposure to
extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF). This possible influence is studied following three
criteria, namely "distance to power lines", "distance-voltage" (i.e. "estimated exposure to ELF-MF
using a distance criteria modulated by the voltage level of the line") and "calculated residential
exposure to ELF-MF".
The purpose of this paper is to describe the tools and methods used to develop and characterize these
three criteria of growing complexity, and to characterise the influence of the input data in terms of
uncertainties on the ELF-MF exposure assigned to subjects. The method developed for the "calculated
residential exposure" criterion is based on a limited number of configurations of overhead lines, which
were selected in the objective of having a representative sample of the French HY network. The
calculated exposure is then fitted to each subject and each neighbouring overhead line, taking into
account the local characteristics of the line (type of towers, height of the conductors, phase
arrangement, etc.), the current flowing in, and the location of the residence with regard to the closest
line span. All variability factors introduced by this simplified representation are analysed, classified,
and quantified to give the best possible assessment and the associated confidence interval of the
residential ELF-MF exposure of the subjects.
Links and resources
Tags
community
@chkokalis's tags highlighted