Power lines transmit extremely high-voltage electrical currents above your head or underground (under your feet). Unlike radiation from handheld devices like your cell phone, radiation from power lines stays hidden from your sight and this makes them more dangerous for your health.
How safe are you when living near or under these power lines? Power lines do emit high levels of electromagnetic field radiation.
The intensity of radiation exposure from high power electrical lines reduces as you go farther away from the lines. The strength of the EMFs is very high when you’re directly under the power lines. When you’re far away from the power line source, the amount of radiation you are exposed to is similar to that which you are exposed to from certain home appliances.
According to the World Health Education, the magnetic field within a 230-kilovolt transmission distance measures at 57.5 milligauss. Within a distance of 100 feet, the transmission line measures 7.1 milligauss, while in 200 feet it measures 1.8 milligauss.
If you’re more concerned about the levels of radiation you’re exposed to from power lines, you can use a gauss meter to measure the electromagnetic field strength. Or you can schedule an on-site reading with your local power company.
In this article, you will learn how much EMF radiation power lines emit, how to measure the radiation, and how to protect yourself.
Do Electricity Power Lines Give Off EMF Radiation?
Just like any other device that has current running through it emits certain levels of electric and magnetic field radiation, power lines emit higher frequency electromagnetic fields when current flows through the lines.
However, the magnetic field radiation generated makes the power lines radiation signals very dangerous to human life. Both electric and magnetic fields emitted can penetrate through your body cells, increasing the risk of cancer.
The strength of the radiation signals emitted by the power lines running over your house depends on;
- The amount of current flowing through the wire lines at any given second.
- The voltage of the current flowing
- The configuration of the power lines (how far apart the lines are from each other)
Each day the power lines carry a high amount of electric current at an extremely high voltage. As a result, the electric and magnetic field radiation emitted can extend to a distance of about 300 meters or more from the source.
So the farther away you are from the source, the less your exposure will be!
How Safe Is It to Live Near or Under the Power Lines?
The only way you can know whether you’re safe or not when living near the power lines is to measure the EMF strength. Power lines radiate electromagnetic fields outward forming electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
In this case, the EMR is the radiation strength emitted and it is measured to determine how safe you are from the power lines near or under you.
Merely looking at the size of the power lines and their proximity to each other doesn’t determine your exposure levels, or determine whether staying near is safe or not.
It is essential to measure the EMR using a gauss meter to determine your exposure levels and how safe you are.
Dangers of EMFs Emitted by Power Lines
Wertheimer and Leeper did a study on two groups of children: those living under high-voltage currents and those who don’t. Based on the study, children living near high-voltage power lines had developed cancer.
Those who lived nearer the power lines are at higher risk of developing cancer compared to those living further from the source. Individuals who are electromagnetic hypersensitive (EHS) are more likely to be affected. They exhibit symptoms such as:
- Severe headaches
- Inability to sleep
- Frequent sickness and illness
There are a lot of studies that link high levels of EMF radiation from power lines to conditions such as:
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer in women
- Leukemia in children
- Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)
- Miscarriage, birth defects, and reproductive problems
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published a research article under the World Health Organization on the health effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) radiation.
Much of this research examined the long-term effects of ELF magnetic field exposure and the focus was more on childhood leukemia.
ELF magnetic field radiation was classified as ‘carcinogenic to humans’ by the World Health Organization.
Watch this video to see how magnetic field radiation from the power lines is very harmful to your health:
What Are the Safe Levels from the Power Lines?
EMF radiation from power lines, whether from your home or workplace, does have an impact on your health. Therefore, it is important to know how close you are for your own safety.
The size of the power lines doesn’t matter, but rather the intensity of the current that flows through the lines.
Without the gauss meter, it is very difficult to know the safe levels.
However, there are some figures you can use to determine your safe levels based on the distance between you and the power lines. For example, if the power frequency is above 765 KV then expect;
- Increased cancer risk and triglyceride within a distance of 50 meters
- Abnormal EEG within 507 meters
- Reduced calcium flow within 834 meters
- Altered reaction time within a distance of 1164 meters
- Altered biorhythms within 1400 meter distance
- Stunted growth within 2000 meter distance
Effects of Exposure from Different Levels of EMR
Some of the known studies on the effects of EMR on your body include:
- Exposure to EMR levels of between 1 to 2 mG increases the mortality rate by 370% in childhood leukemia.
- Another study shows exposure to EMR of 1.6 mG will double the risk of sperm abnormalities in men.
- A study on EMR levels of 4 mG indicates an increase in childhood cancer like leukemia.
- Studies of EMR levels of between 2 mG to 12 mG indicate adverse effects of blocking melatonin anticancer action, leaving you more exposed to the risk of cancer.
When testing EMF and EMR from power lines, you should be more concerned about the waves of the electric and magnetic field emitted through current coursing by the power lines. This type of radiation is more harmful and it comes from high-voltage power lines.
Radiation from currents coursing is commonly found in metal towers installed in rural areas.
Always remember to use the right gauss meter to measure the exact electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electric power lines. The safe levels should be 5 mG within a distance of 800m from high-voltage power lines.
Ways to Accurately Measure EMF from Power Lines
One of the best methods for measuring EMF from power lines around your home is through the use of a reliable EMF meter.
A good EMF meter should be able to test magnetic field radiation and give you accurate readings of the harmful radiation.
Before you start testing, you can contact your local power company to provide you with the information on the ionizing radiation sources. This will enable you to accurately measure the EMF radiation from the power lines.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) provides an EMF guide about the electrical and magnetic fields emitted by the power lines.
5 Steps for Measuring EMF from Power Lines
An EMF gauss meter is one of the reliable tools you can use to measure the level of electromagnetic radiation exposure from the power lines. Let’s have a look at the step-by-step guide on how to measure EMF exposure.
- Hold the meter with the front part of the meter facing away from you. Your body can block some of the radiation being emitted, hence you should hold it facing away from you.
- Change the gauss meter settings to the preferred parameters using the block knob located below the LCD screen. This will allow you to measure the magnetic field or set the meter to read the electric field emitted.
- Some of the best EMF meters have a weighted mode to allow you to measure EMF values from a conductive body like the human body. If you want to know how much EMF your body emits you should turn on the weighted mode knob.
- Also, turn on the ‘AC Magnetic Mode’ knob so as to obtain accurate EMR reading from the power lines. AC magnetic mode measures magnetic fields emanating from the power lines and other electrical appliances in your home.
Using the gauss meter you will be able to determine the parts of your room with concentrated harmful EMFs.
- You can also measure the electric fields generated by the power lines. The accuracy of electrical field readings can be affected by your body. Nonetheless, you can adjust your multimeter to measure the voltage coming from the power lines.
Measurements below 0.1 Volts are harmless and any reading above 2 volts should raise your concerns.
You can watch this video to see how to measure EMF from power lines with a gauss meter:
Tips for EMF Protection from Power Lines
When living near or under the power lines, it’s not easy to just pack your things and move after discovering how much EMR you’re being exposed to. If it’s the case, you have to look for ways to protect your home against these harmful types of radiation.
Some of the tips you can use for protection include;
1. Measure the strength of the EMR in your living space
The first step before taking any measures is to know what you are dealing with. Use a high-quality EMF gauss meter to obtain accurate results in EMR exposure.
The recommended SAR safe levels from any EMF radiation should be 1 milliGauss (mG).
2. Get protection materials
After measuring the EMR strength and finding it’s above the recommended safety levels, you should obtain protection materials. You can block EMF from power lines in six ways:
- Use EMF paint
Some EMF blockers like the EMF protection paint can help block the EMF radiation from penetrating through the walls. The best radiation shielding paint has an attenuation level of 39 decibels (dB).
Apply the paints in your house and block EMFs from multiple sources, including electromagnetic radiation from power lines. The paint can also block low-frequency EMFs.
If your house is near areas with high levels of EMFs, you can use two coats of the paint to ensure maximum protection.
Note: If you use EMF paint, you should not have other EMF emitting devices in the rooms that are painted as the radiation from those devices will be trapped inside the rooms. For this reason, EMF paints are best for shielding EMF from your bedroom.
- Use radiation shielding fabrics
You can also buy radiation shielding fabrics and wearable protection material to reduce the rate of exposure to EMF radiation from power lines and other domestic appliances. Shielding fabrics offer Faraday cage protection against different types of EMF radiation, including radiation from 5G towers.
Wearable protection includes EMF protective clothing and jewelry. There is a lot of EMF protective clothing in the market; it is up to you to choose which is best suitable for you. Read my detailed article on the best EMF protective materials.
The wearable material can be used while at home or out and about to act as a shielding mechanism against electromagnetic radiation.
- Plant EMF absorbing plants and trees
Don’t forget to plant some EMF absorbing shrubs and trees around your home. Adding these plants not only makes your home attractive but also reduces the impact of electromagnetic fields from the power lines.
Trees do not block the EMF but weaken the radiation that passes through them. Pine and cherry trees are more effective in reducing the impact of the radiation signals before they reach you home.
Use indoor plants to help reduce the exposure to EMF radiation. The plants absorb the toxins from around the house and purify the air inside your home. Have a look at my detailed article on some of the best indoor plants that absorb EMF.
These plants neutralize the toxic ions emitted and replace them with safe ones that plants discharge naturally.
- Invest in window EMF shield
Most EMF radiation from outside sources gets into your home through the window. Using anti-radiation window films that have silver and copper coating can help reduce the amount of radiation getting into your home.
Alternatively, you can invest in a stainless steel wire mesh frame on your windows to block EMFs from getting into your home. You can buy a 6mm wire mesh and attach it to the outside of your window to reduce the amount of radiation entering through the windows.
One problem with using wire mesh on your windows is that it can block natural light. You can consider using a slightly larger mesh that will allow some light to pass through.
- Observe your diet
While this method can’t stop EMF radiation exposure from power lines, it can help neutralize the negative effects. Consuming foods with certain nutrients can help you lower the dangers of EMF exposure. You can also take some supplements to help reduce the effects of radiation. Have a look at the best supplements to protect against EMF.
- Invest in an EMF bed canopy
A bed canopy can be of great help where you can’t use the EMF paint or shielding fabric. Bed canopies offer EMF protection in your bedroom where you get the much-needed rest.
The SYB bed canopy shields against 99% of harmful radiation and it is 5G tested. With this type of shielding material, you don’t need grounding since the floor mats included provides you with complete protection in all directions.
It has entry and exits on both sides with overlapping slits. Also, it comes with an hardware that makes it easy to mount the canopy on the wall. It is coated with a metallic wire mesh to block all forms of radiation that can disrupt your sleeping patterns.
- Burying/Earthing power lines
Although it is not easy to do this in your house, it’s a great option to consider if you’re building your house near the power lines. Burying the power lines causes the electrical fields generated to be absorbed by the earth. This process reduces the amount of radiation that is emitted by the wires.
Since this method is very expensive, a homeowner can contact the electric company to see if it’s possible.
If, after trying all the protection measures, the electromagnetic radiation is very high, then you need to move from that house.
Local power lines span through the neighborhoods as they supply power to everyone, thus exposing more people to dangerous EMF.
The high-voltage transmission lines connected to metal towers emit the strongest magnetic fields. Homes near the transformer box mounted on wooden poles experience higher exposure.
Radiation associated with the power lines is non-ionizing and they emit magnetic fields as the current flows through the lines. Electric fields are also emitted through the electric charges.
The closer you are to the power lines, the more exposure to the electromagnetic radiation you receive. When a current flows through the power lines, it creates an electromagnetic field. And the strength of the electromagnetic field emitted depends on the amount of electrical current flowing through the wires. As you move farther from the lines, the strength decreases.