Is it Safe to Live by Transmission Lines?

Since the late 1970s, health concerns have developed over the possibility that living near power lines can cause ill health. Current research suggests the need to take certain precautions when living around these power lines.

Identification

• The flow of electricity creates electric and magnetic fields. The electric field develops from the electrical charge while the movement of this charge creates the magnetic field.

Effects

• Little evidence suggests that electrical fields generated by power lines effect health. However, power lines emit extra-low frequency magnetic fields (ELF), possibly contributing to the development of various forms of ill health including cancer, depression and immunity damage.

Considerations

• The Oxford Childhood Cancer Research Group found that children under the age of 15 living within 100 meters of high-voltage power lines suffered almost twice the risk of developing leukemia. This risk increased for children under 5.

Theories/Speculation

• Modern medicine fails to explain how exposure to low-level magnetic fields can disrupt the biophysical mechanisms of the body. However, alternative medicine suggest that these electromagnetic fields disrupt the subtle magnetic life energies of our bodies, resulting in ill health.

Warning

• If you need to live by a power line, make sure that you live at least 400 feet away. However, pregnant women should not come anywhere near a power line due to the possibility of a miscarriage.