|
KMID : 0895420050150010071
|
|
Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Enviromental Hygiene
2005 Volume.15 No. 1 p.71 ~ p.81
|
|
|
A Survey on the EMF Levels of Study and ELectric Appliances in Korea
|
|
Jang Seong-Ki
Cho Yong-Sung
Lee Seok-Jo
Yoo Seong-Wha
Jung Kyung-Mi
Lim Jin-Ho
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
The purposes of this study was to collect, analyze, and describe the MF exposure levels from subways in Korea and to measure and evaluate the MF levels generated from electric appliances used at general homes. The target subway lines were Seoul Metropolitan Line 1 to Line 8, Bundang Line, Incheon Line, Daegu Line, Gwangju Line, and Busan Line 1 and Line 2. We measured at each station in those subway lines and, all the train types (pantograph-equipped, motor-equipped, and common), and platform types(facing and isolating) were investigated by the distance(80, 200, 400㎝) from the train on 19 targeted subway lines using 3 magnetic field measuring devices (EMDEXⅡ, Enertech Co.) during the survey from January till October, 2004. On the other hand, the levels of the 60Hz magnetic fields generated from 14 items of home electric appliances such as electric blankets, hair dryers, electric razors, etc. were measured at 10 general homes using 5 EMDEXⅡ meters with a sampling interval of 1.5 second by the distance(surface, 30, 50, 100, 300㎝) from the target electric appliances. The survey results in the whole subway lines examined in this study were as follows; Seoul Metropolitan Line 4 using AC(alternating current) power source showed the highest mean value of 2.85μT, followed by Seoul Metropolitan Line 1 running between Seoul and Incheon using AC(2.78μT), Seoul Metropolitan Line 1 between Seoul and Uijongbu using AC(2.73μT), Bundang Line using AC(1.79μT), Seoul Metropolitan Line 1 connected from Yongsan using AC(1.67μ T), Seoul Metropolitan Line 1 between Seoul and Suwon using AC(0.79μT), and so on. In general, the intensity of the magnetic field in the subway systems in Korea was significantly higher when using AC(2.14±0.91μT) than when using DC(0.29±0.44μT) power source. Among the home electric appliances examined, microwave ovens showed the highest mean value of 7.69μT, followed by hair dryers(6.47μT), vacuum cleaners(5.27μT), televisions (2.26μT), electric blankets(1.38μT), personal computers (0.81μT), and so on. Two items of electric appliances showed the excess value of 0.2μT at the distance of 30㎝in the MF exposure level; electric razors 1.58±2.13μT and vacuum cleaners 0.48±0.44μT. As a whole, this study showed a tendency that the shift of the MF levels according to the increase of distance from the electric appliances was lower than those of the results surveyed in UK and USA. As a result, this study is expected to suggest meaningful data for the future study in exposure assessment of magnetic fields and for the establishment of guidelines for subways and electric appliances in Korea. More detailed and large scaled exposure assessment studies should be performed continuously to get the various and useful information on health risk assessment of MFs in Korea.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
MF, magnetic fields, subway, AC, alternating current, DC, direct current, electric appliance
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|