title: Measurements of intermediate-frequency electric and magnetic fields in households.
abstract: Historically, assessment of human exposure to electric and magnetic fields has focused on the extremely-low-frequency (ELF) and radiofrequency (RF) ranges. However, research on the typically emitted fields in the intermediate-frequency (IF) range (300Hz to 1MHz) as well as potential effects of IF fields on the human body remains limited, although the range of household appliances with electrical components working in the IF range has grown significantly (e.g., induction cookers and compact fluorescent lighting). In this study, an extensive measurement survey was performed on the levels of electric and magnetic fields in the IF range typically present in residences as well as emitted by a wide range of household appliances under real-life circumstances. Using spot measurements, residential IF field levels were found to be generally low, while the use of certain appliances at close distance (20cm) may result in a relatively high exposure. Overall, appliance emissions contained either harmonic signals, with fundamental frequencies between 6kHz and 300kHz, which were sometimes accompanied by regions in the IF spectrum of rather noisy, elevated field strengths, or much more capricious spectra, dominated by 50Hz harmonics emanating far in the IF domain. The maximum peak field strengths recorded at 20cm were 41.5V/m and 2.7A/m, both from induction cookers. Finally, none of the appliance emissions in the IF range exceeded the exposure summation rules recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 62233) standard at 20cm and beyond (maximum exposure quotients EQE1.0 andEQH0.13).
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, iGent, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: sam.aerts@intec.ugent.be.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aerts
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calderon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Non-Ionizing Radiation (INIS), Pohorskega bataljona 215, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Blaž
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valič
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Myron
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maslanyj
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Addison
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mee
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goiceanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, iGent, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Leen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Verloock
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, iGent, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van den Bossche
authors.affiliation: Institute of Non-Ionizing Radiation (INIS), Pohorskega bataljona 215, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gajšek
authors.affiliation: Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Socinstrasse 57, P.O. Box, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4003 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Röösli
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cardis
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, iGent, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, iGent, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wout
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Joseph
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008029:Lighting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D060526:Magnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017524:Slovenia; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Electric and magnetic fields; Epidemiology; Household appliances; Human exposure; Intermediate frequencies